Love After Loss
by mssmithlove
Summary: Caroline and Stefan find themselves closer then ever after experiencing loss. Steroline centric but has become more of a Season 6 story. Set after Season 5 finale. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

*****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. I'm trying something new with this story, a little bit of a slower burn if you will. **A friend recommended I write this story, so I am taking requests/prompts. Please let me know if you'd like to see a specific story or coupling. **I re-watched the 5****th**** season recently and as much as I love Caroline and Klaus, there is absolutely something between her and Stefan. Like I said, she has chemistry with everyone and therefore I must blame her for this. Set after the Season 5 finale*****

Stefan rolled over and rubbed his eyes, kicking the sheets from him. He blinked several times and waited for the sinking feeling to hit him, just like it always did every morning of every day for the past four months. He sighed and let himself reel all over again.

His brother was dead. Damon was dead. And there it was. Stefan waited as his stomach turned and his heart shattered all over again, blinking furiously through the tears. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, and waited for the first wave of unbearable pain to wash over him. He longed for the few hours of the day where the pain dulled a bit and he could function.

Stefan rolled over and smiled at the two women sound asleep next to him. He silently chuckled to himself thinking of how Damon would react to Saint Stefan having two women in his bed. His chest tensed a little as his brother's name passed through his mind.

His eyes swept over Elena and Caroline, facing each other, hands clasped together, breathing deeply and soundly. He allowed a small part of him to be pleased that he could comfort them enough to finally get them to rest.

Elena hadn't slept at all the weeks following the incident. Caroline had stayed up to comfort her, which had resulted in the two of them showing up at the Salvatore home in the middle of the night in tears, both sobbing incoherent sentences, and very clearly needing to sleep. Stefan opened his empty house to them, finding each of them a room. He consciously avoided Damon's room, having honestly considered burning it down altogether. When neither woman would loosen their grip on each of his arms, Stefan brought them both to his room and wrapped them up in his blankets. He watched as Elena inhaled the familiar aroma of the Salvatore mansion, and cried herself to sleep in Caroline's arms. Stefan tried sleeping in one of the guestrooms, but found himself racing back to his own room every few hours in response to screams or wails. Eventually, he found himself crawling into bed with them, anticipating the next panic attack. Things calmed down over the months, but somehow this always stuck. The three of them always slept in the same bed.

Stefan slid out of the bed now, careful not to disturb the girls, and crept down the hallway. He glanced at the closed door of Damon's room, like he did every morning, and lingered for only half a second before descending the stairs. He'd come to realize long ago that he would never be able to bring himself to open that door again.

He walked slowly through the mansion, knowing what came next. He did this every day. The same routine. Wake up, make coffee, look outside, and try to figure out what the hell he was going to do for eternity. The thought of carrying around this heavy heart for all-time felt exhausting to even think about. Only one thing brought him back on mornings like these.

Caroline.

All these months, she'd assigned herself as Elena's caregiver and Stefan as her assistant. The first few weeks had been the worst. She held Elena's hand or hugged her close when she sobbed through every stage of grief, sometimes crying as well. She made sure Elena showered and ate, as well as had clean clothes. She put her to bed every night, promising she'd be in soon. After what seemed like eternity, Elena started to function properly again. But still Caroline kept at it. She created a schedule where she and Stefan cleaned for them, went on blood bag runs, did laundry, restocked the bar. She made sure they functioned like a family, as they were all lacking in that department.

She'd been an incredible friend to not only Elena, but also to Stefan. She'd been his saving grace. After Elena went to bed, they'd sit on the porch for hours in the night, exchanging stories and discussing Elena's condition. Never did they talk about their own feelings. For some reason that felt off limits to Stefan, like it wouldn't be okay for him to ask about Bonnie or Tyler. Caroline had volunteered information that her mom knew where she was and that Caroline had chosen to not move back in with her.

"You guys need me more," she said with a wink. And that was the end of that.

They set unspoken rules to their late night chats. But somehow, it was perfect. And it held Stefan together. He waited for night to fall, tediously going through the motions of his day. He longed for her closeness and comfort, wanting to lose himself in their meaningless discussions. He watched the clock all day, begging it to move its arms faster. When night came, he pleaded with the moon to let the darkness last longer.

His desperation intensified when he found himself making excuse to be with her during the day. He'd always helped her with chores but not like this. He was happy to be anything she needed. He would have been fine sitting next to her, watching her beautiful blonde curls bounce down her back as she scurried around the house if that's what she wanted. He'd catch himself staring at her, her glowing complexion hypnotizing him, her beauty overwhelming him. Once he snapped out of his haze, he reconciled with the fact that Lexi was right. What terrified him was that Caroline may not feel the same way. He hadn't seen any changes in her behavior. Was he alone in this?

Stefan flipped the switch on the coffee maker and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms.

"Uh oh. Looks like Serious Stefan is up."

Stefan looked up to find a groggy Caroline sauntering into the kitchen. His heart pounded a little harder at the sight of her in one of his t-shirts, her hair messy and flipped over her shoulder.

"Morning Care," Stefan said, forcing a smile.

Caroline made her way to the cabinet for a coffee mug. "You look like shit."

Stefan laughed humorlessly. "Thank you. How are you this morning?"

"Well," Caroline said, sipping her coffee, "Elena slept through the night last night finally. And she's still sleeping, so I think that's a good sign, right?"

"Yeah that is good," Stefan said, "but I was actually asking about how _you_ are doing."

Caroline looked up from her coffee, clearly surprise at the question.

"Umm, well, I'm okay."

Her eyes softened a little. "I mean, you know."

Stefan half smiled at her. He did know. This was about as far as they got on the feelings talk. She slid into one of the bar stools and placed her head in her hands.

"This is the first time in a long time I am dreading eternity."

Stefan came around the bar to sit next to Caroline. His heart sank as he watched her. He put his hand on her back and she shuddered at the contact.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head.

Stefan took Caroline's hand and squeezed it.

"It's going to be okay, Care."

Caroline shook her head.

"No, unfortunately, it's probably not. But thank you for saying that anyway."

Stefan wrapped his arms around her as she breathed heavy, gaining her composure again.

"Hello?"

Stefan heard the door creek open as the voice echoed through the hall.

"Come on in, Alaric," Stefan hollered.

Alaric came into the kitchen, eyes heavy.

"Good morning my Depressed Vampire Mansion friends," Alaric said sleepily. He flopped into a chair at the table. "Have you seen Elena today?"

"Not yet," Stefan said as he got up from his seat and grabbed another mug for Alaric.

"Thanks man," Alaric took a drink of his coffee. "I'm getting more worried by the day. I mean, it's been four months. Is she ever going to be okay? She's been through so much."

Alaric sighed.

"How about you, are you guys doing okay?"

Caroline and Stefan exchanged a weighted look. Alaric didn't miss it and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dumb question I know. But I want to let you guys know I'm here for you, too. Always."

Caroline smiled.

"It's good to have you back, Alaric. But to be honest, I think Elena is the one that needs you the most right now. Besides, Stefan and I have each other."

Stefan's heart skipped a beat at her words and he smiled down into his mug.

"Do you guys mind if I kidnap Elena for the day? I want to get her out of the house."

"Yes!" Caroline exclaimed. "I think that's a great idea, Alaric."

Alaric smiled and headed toward the stairs.

Caroline turned back to Stefan.

"So…"

Stefan narrowed his gaze at her. "What?"

"I wanted to talk to you about us staying here," Caroline stared at the countertop.

Stefan raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

"Look, I know your grieving too, and if you want us out just tell us. We can take it. I don't know if it's doing much good for Elena anyway. So many memories, ya know?"

"Okay, first of all," Stefan said, leaning onto the counter, "you guys are my family. You're more then welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like. Frankly, I prefer not to be alone here. Secondly, I might have to agree with you on the Elena front. Alaric may need to take her for a while. Help her move forward."

Caroline forced a small smile. "Okay. No problem."

Stefan's eyes widened and he reached out to grab her hand. She glanced up and looked him in the eye.

"But honestly Care, I would really like it if you stayed. I am being serious, I don't want to be here alone. The memories are tough for me as well ya know."

Caroline bit her lip. "Oh god, of course, Stefan, I'm so sorry. It's just that you're so strong, I sometimes forget…" she smiled a real smile this time. "Well, I would like to move in to that gorgeous guest room upstairs, the one with the giant closet? My stuff would look so good hanging in there."

Stefan smiled, stifling the disappointment of not having her in his bed any longer. Even if nothing was going to happen, having someone that close during the night was comforting. He knew he'd miss it. "Perfect," he said.

Caroline glanced up as Alaric's voice floated down from above.

"Thank God," Caroline said as she sipped her coffee. "Someone needed to get her out of this house."

Stefan smiled at the ceiling and sighed in relief, hearing Elena agree to head out with Alaric.

"I heard that," Elena hollered from the stairs and Caroline raised her eyebrows to Stefan.

"Um… we love you!" Caroline said shrugging her shoulders and widening her eyes at Stefan.

"Sure you do," Elena said as she closed the front door behind her.

Caroline looked at Stefan.

"They'll be fine, right?"

Stefan eyeballed Caroline.

"Yeah…" she said and Stefan laughed.

They sat in silence, sipping their coffee. Stefan allowed his gaze to wander toward Caroline's dainty fingers as she held her mug. Somehow even her hands were sexy and he knew they couldn't sit in the house all day. He was absolutely bound to do something stupid.

"Hey, we should do something today, too."

Caroline perked up in her chair, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Really? You want to do something?"

"Sure, what else are we doing?"

"Oh my gosh yes Stefan! Fun! I'm going to go shower and get ready!" Caroline jumped out of her chair and bounced up the stairs.

Stefan burst out laughing at her adorable reaction and tossed the coffee mugs in the sink.

*****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. I'm trying something new with this story, a little bit of a slower burn if you will. **A friend recommended I write this story, so I am taking requests for stories as well. Please let me know if you'd like to see a specific story or coupling. **I re-watched the 5****th**** season recently and as much as I love Caroline and Klaus, there is absolutely something between her and Stefan. Like I said, she has chemistry with everyone and therefore I must blame her for this. Set after the Season 5 finale*****


	2. Chapter 2

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Caroline smirked at Stefan, "Show me what you got, Salvatore."

Stefan grinned.

"Hut, hut, hike!" Stefan pitched the football to Caroline and darted toward the other side of the park.

"Run faster!" Caroline hollered and Stefan sped up a little. Caroline hucked the ball down the field just as Stefan turned in time to reach out and catch it.

"Touchdown! And the crowd goes wild!" Caroline jumped up and down.

"Nice throw," Stefan exclaimed as he jogged back to where she was.

"I know. I'm a natural," Caroline flipped her hair. "It feels so good out here today." she said as she sat down in the grass, "It's such a simple thing to do, you know? Just go to the park and hang out. No dark and twisty stuff. Thanks for getting me out of the house."

Stefan smiled as he joined her on the ground. "You're more then welcome."

Caroline lay back, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Okay, my turn to ask. How are you doing, Stefan? What's going on in that emotional head of yours?"

Stefan chuckled and lay down on his back, lacing his fingers together on his chest. "I'm fine, Caroline."

Caroline nudged him with her shoulder and stared him down. "Come on, Stefan. I spilled this morning. Your turn."

"You did not spill. You said like four sentences. That is not spilling. That's barely dribbling. I know there is more going on with you."

Caroline scoffed and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. "If you tell, I'll tell."

Stefan stared at her for a moment. She truly was beautiful. Her skin was silky smooth shimmering in the dimming light. She looked peaceful with her eyes closed, though he knew there was a war raging on inside of her. His heart both hurt and longed for her, which frustrated him. His brother just died. How could he be thinking of things like this? He fought the urge to reach out and touch her. It wasn't right. He shook himself back into reality.

"Never mind," he grumbled.

Caroline glanced around the park. "How long have we been out here? It's already getting dark."

"I suppose that means it's time for victory drinks."

Caroline's eyes lit up. "You are one unstoppable good idea."

Stefan laughed. He knew it was pathetic to feel this good about making her smile. He knew this feeling all too well. He wasn't sure he'd ever feel it again after Elena. A shiver ran down his body, and panic slowly set in.

"You coming?" Caroline called as she walked back toward the car.

Stefan rolled onto to his feet, trying to refocus his thoughts. He needed to get it together before he did something he knew he'd regret.

The two arrived back at the house to a note taped on the door.

Hey guys,

I'm going to spend some time with Alaric and Jeremy. I'll be back in a couple days. Love you.

-Elena

"It's kind of adorable that Elena checks in with us," Caroline said happily, tearing the note down and walking into the front hall of the house.

Stefan's entire body tingled, suddenly very aware that he and Caroline would be alone in this giant house for a few days. He forced himself to speak. "Yeah. I'm glad she's doing a little better," he choked out.

"Me too," Caroline threw her bag down and sat down on the couch.

Stefan clapped his hands together, trying to snap himself back to reality. "Alright, I think it's time for some alcohol."

Stefan poured them each a glass of bourbon and handed one to Caroline.

"To keeping things simple," Stefan raised his glass and Caroline clinked her glass to his.

"To simple vampire lifestyles," she smirked and they each took a sip.

An hour later, Stefan flopped in his chair in front of the fire, and Caroline lay on the floor, twisting her fingers in her hair, clearly intoxicated.

"This is good," she said abruptly.

Stefan laughed.

"Glad to hear it," he said as he took a sip of his drink.

Caroline rolled over and looked at him.

"I'm serious," she said, "this is good for me. It's like, therapeutic or something. I'm so sick of feeling like this," she said honestly, running her hand through her hair.

Stefan stared down at her on the floor, silently reveling in the fact that he was able to comfort her. He tried to stay focused and not think about how dangerous this situation could become. He'd always let his emotions rule him. He couldn't let that happen now. Not with her.

"Sometimes those heightened vampire senses can really kick you in the ass," he said casually into his bourbon as he took another sip.

"It's the truth. At a time like this, I totally get the whole shutting off your emotions thing. I'm sure it makes everything a lot easier," she said thoughtfully.

Stefan froze, fear rising within him.

"So now you want to be emotionless?" Stefan sputtered out, on the verge of anger.

"No," she said simply, "I'm just saying, I get it. It's horribly depressing being a vampire sometimes," she sighed.

Stefan relaxed and took another sip of his drink.

"Okay, well since I've been on the other side of that, I can say I don't recommend it. It's worse. Trust me."

Caroline nodded.

He needed the subject to change. He was realizing now why they hadn't talked about personal things all summer. It led to unstable territory. It threatened his secret.

"Okay, this party just got really dark. Come on, let's talk about something else," Stefan said, getting up to turn on some music. The sound lightened the mood a little and Caroline moved her hips to the beat as she lay on the floor. She smiled a little. "I love this song," she said as she hummed along.

Stefan lost himself as he watched this gorgeous girl sway on his floor. He grabbed Caroline's hands without thinking and pulled her up to her feet.

He pulled her close and took one of her hands in his, while placing his other on her hip. They moved to the beat and Caroline laughed.

"Stefan, we're dancing," she giggled, as he spun her around. She lay her head on his chest as the tempo of the music slowed. His heart raced at their closeness.

"Tyler never liked to dance with me," she said quietly. "I know it wasn't his thing, and it wasn't anything against me, but still. I love to dance."

Stefan's mind raced. This couldn't be safe. He knew this was a bad plan. But he couldn't help himself. He was lost. He dipped her and brought her back up. Caroline stumbled a little and the movement jolted Stefan out of his trance. He steadied her.

"Okay Ms. Forbes, I think it may be time for bed," he said, noticing her eyelids hanging low. '_Please. I need to separate myself from you before I ruin everything,_' he thought to himself.

She nodded.

"Maybe you're right. I better get upstairs."

Stefan breathed a deep sigh of relief, stifling the disappointment he felt.

She took a step and tripped. Stefan caught her before she landed on her face.

"That looked worse then it was, that wasn't the alcohol it was the carpet," she slurred.

"Come on, drunkie," Stefan laughed. He let Caroline lean against him as he guided her upstairs.

Stefan brought them to his room. He pushed the door open, Caroline still pressed securely against his side.

"I haven't been held this close in months," Caroline mumbled. "Besides Elena, but she isn't much of a snuggler."

Stefan smirked and brought her into the room, laying her down on his bed. He tucked her in and she cuddled up in the sheets, closing her eyes. Stefan kissed her forehead and shut off the light. How badly he wanted to hold her was almost painful. As he went to close the door, he heard her speak.

"Stefan?" she said in the darkness.

Stefan could have sworn his heart stopped beating.

"Yeah, I'm still here," he breathed.

"You're my best friend," she said quietly.

He sighed, feeling the pull within him between disappointment and happiness. He wanted to be there for her more then anything. But of course he wanted more.

"I know, Care."

"I just mean, you've been there for me all these years, helping me and caring for me. I feel like I can tell you anything. You've been wonderful to me."

Stefan smiled.

"It's been my pleasure. Now go to sleep."

"Wait, no, Stefan," she said, tossing and turning in a drunken haze. Stefan came to her side quickly, probably too quickly and she would have noticed if it weren't for the alcohol. She grabbed his hand and that familiar shot of adrenaline ran through his body.

"I'm right here, Care, it's okay," he whispered tenderly, all too willing to comfort her.

"Please don't leave. Please. Stay here. I don't want you to leave. I care about you so much." She let out a tiny whimper, reaching for him.

Stefan crawled into bed with her, laying her head on his chest. "Okay, I'll stay Care, you're okay."

This was where he was supposed to be. He never felt bliss like this before. Contentment overwhelmed him as he settled in next to her. He prayed this night would never end.

"I'm so tired of feeling like this," she said as she choked out a sob.

"Shh, Care, it's okay," he said, stroking her hair.

"No, it's really not," Caroline whispered in between sobs, "everyone is gone. And those who are still here are heartbroken. It's all bad."

"I know," Stefan whispered back.

"I'm so sorry about your brother, I'm sorry for all of it. I just want you…" she whispered softly as she drifted in and out of sleep.

Stefan gave her a small squeeze. "Thank you," he whispered back.

_Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for letting me be here for you._

He listened to her heave and sniff, slowly crying herself to sleep. He waited until he heard her breathing low and even, then leaned closer to her.

"I'm tired too, Care," he whispered, "I'm tired of missing my brother. I'm tired of not being able to make you feel any better. I'm tired of wanting something I know I shouldn't want. I'm just… tired."

Caroline sighed against him and he closed his eyes, allowing silent tears to fall down his cheeks.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	3. Chapter 3

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Caroline woke to strong arms around her and breathed deeply. The boy who held her felt so familiar and she relaxed against him, knowing it was Stefan. He slept quietly behind her, snoring softly. She lay still for a long while, enjoying this peaceful moment, allowing herself to feel happy, if only for a moment.

She'd stopped denying it long ago. She knew.

She had a sneaking suspicion after the event with the travelers. She'd been so scared for Stefan's safety. They could have fried his brain. They could have made him forget his life. Forget her. She couldn't let that happen. He was her best friend. The one that was there for her even if he was going through hell himself. He'd drop everything. She was grateful for him every day. And when she got back from her failed mission to kill his last doppelganger, he said exactly what she needed to hear; that she was too good of a person to kill an innocent. And he didn't just say it because she needed it. He said it because he meant it. Her heart had fluttered, and suddenly she was recalling little moments they'd had. Moments she had brushed off as friendly gestures. Stefan was an incredible friend to everyone. She knew that. And somehow still, these moments had meant everything to her.

She knew the minute that jolt of jealousy shot through her when she thought Stefan and Elena were getting back together at the cabin. She'd accused them of making out, for god's sake. If that wasn't an obvious cry of envy, she didn't know what was. And she started to give in. She started to picture what things could be like. What her life could be like with him. This somehow felt like it could be different.

And then Stefan died. And her world had all but shattered. He couldn't be dead. She wouldn't let it happen. Not with all the possibility that hung in the air around them. She couldn't let him go. She wouldn't. And somehow, he'd made it back.

_Back to me. _She smiled as that thought passed through her mind.

And then Damon died. And the world pressed a giant pause button. She couldn't be thinking of him like this after he just lost his brother. She couldn't be focused on love when her best friend had just lost her soul mate.

_Love. _That's where she was now.

She'd done her best. She knew, but she'd really tried not to let it affect her. She pushed it aside, kept herself busy. Focused on Elena and the laundry and the dishes. She wouldn't ask to be his lover. She'd be his longtime friend when he needed to talk, his anchor to the world when he had no family left. She'd be everything he needed from her, and would take nothing in return. She wouldn't speak of her feelings or problems. Those moments would be for Elena. They would mourn the loss of Bonnie together. God only knew Elena was an expert at grieving. She'd help her through losing Damon. She'd focus her energy into being the best friend she could be.

She really should blame Stefan. They'd been staying there for a few weeks when one night Elena had announced she was going to bed. Stefan and Caroline exchanged wide-eyed looks of excitement as Elena sauntered up the stairs. She'd barely been able to sleep, and the fact that she was actually tired and choosing to rest was a big step. They sat quietly until they could hear her breathing low and evenly, then Stefan popped a bottle of champagne and they toasted to this momentous occasion. They snuck out to the porch and discussed their victory, feeling triumphant that they truly were helping their friend. It only lasted an hour, when they heard Elena whimpering Damon's name, blindly reaching around in the sheets, tossing and turning. They returned to their rightful spots in the bed, Stefan to the left of Elena and Caroline to the right and comforted their friend. But that night set a new routine. Elena put herself to bed, and Stefan would grab beers or wine and motion Caroline to the back door. And every night since Caroline felt more deeply for this emotional vampire.

It hurt her to be away from him, to keep her distance, to fight her every instinct, and she did her very best. She put on a great show. But she knew. She knew she was in love with him.

She ran her fingers up his arm and reveled in the feeling of being held by this beautiful vampire. She traced his bicep muscle and back down to his fingers. She felt him sigh against her, tightening his grip ever so slightly on her. She closed her eyes in the comfort she felt in this moment, as the feelings she knew she needed to suppress overwhelmed her. She brought her lips to his palm and laid a kiss in his hand.

She froze as Stefan stirred. Panic set in and she slowly untangled herself from his grasp. She rolled out of bed, afraid of how things would go if he woke to her caressing his arm. He couldn't know how she felt about him. She'd worked too hard to secure her friendship with Stefan and force her feelings aside. She couldn't ruin it now.

She crept out of the room, unaware that Stefan was awake and watching her.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	4. Chapter 4

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Stefan knew he needed to keep his distance. He'd let his guard down, wavered on his personal promise when she'd asked him to stay. He should have left. It threatened their dynamic, their friendship. He'd let himself get comfortable, been thoughtless as to how this could go if he fell asleep with her in his arms. Of course he would hold her tightly all night. Of course he'd wake up to his body pressed to hers, arms twined around her in a protective shield. How had he not have predicted that? How could he have been so reckless with this girl?

But it only lasted seconds. He came out of his slumber to the scent of Caroline's hair, and breathed deep, as though this were normal. It didn't even register that he shouldn't be in this situation. He shouldn't be inhaling her delicious aroma and memorizing her every curve lining his body. He shouldn't want to run his hands over every square inch of her, his touch begging to feel her bare skin against his. He shouldn't be imagining what it would feel like to sink into her, hear her call his name and hold on to him tightly as she writhed beneath him.

And then she was lifting his arm and crawling out from under his grasp, and his mind snapped into place.

_She's not yours._

He'd seen her sneak out of his bed, out of his room. Her message had been pretty clear.

His heart shattered as he watched her close the door behind her, not even giving him a second glance. It was obvious to him now; she had no romantic interest in him. The thoughts he was having were not reciprocated. She didn't want him. She wanted to get away from him.

_You fucking idiot._

He'd felt so guilty, like he'd thrown himself at her. Her reaction to his arms around her was to remove herself from the situation, while he was fantasizing about making love to her.

_You're sick._

He needed to take a beat. He needed to back off, take a moment and figure out what he was going to do. He couldn't go on like this. So many other things were going on in their lives he couldn't be selfish with her. He couldn't force his feelings on her and make them deal with it.

Of course, that wasn't the whole truth. He _was_ being selfish. He needed her in his life, no matter what that meant. If she only wanted to be friends, he would be her friend. It would hurt like hell, but he couldn't be without her.

So he kept his distance. For days, he'd mumble things to Caroline in passing about needing to clean out the wine cellar or fixing his car. He'd hide out in the library for hours, pretending to be busy. He'd go out after Caroline had gone to bed and wander around for hours. No more late night chats. No more bed sharing. He couldn't do it anymore. He was unraveling. One more late night and he'd make a fool of himself. He wanted her. Bad.

He noticed the pain on Caroline's face as he blatantly avoided her. _It's for the best right now_, he silently told her.

_I fucking blew it._

He must have been awake that morning, felt the way she touched him. She'd prayed he wasn't, and he confirmed her suspicions when he could barely look her in the eye. Was it really that obvious? Or had something happened before that? When she was drunk? She couldn't remember. That evening was so hazy. What had she done? He was avoiding her so it must have been bad. Worse then the morning caress. Her head was spinning with awful possibilities.

She had to fix this.

He wandered up the stairs from the basement one evening to find Caroline in the kitchen.

"Oh hey," he said awkwardly, "Um, I think I might go on a walk…or something." He looked around, unable to think of another excuse to leave.

"Okay, I'll grab my shoes," she said and walked passed him.

"Oh," he said surprised, "okay."

They walked out in front of the mansion toward the woods. Stefan shoved his hands into his pockets and walked along quietly. They hiked up through the forest in silence. Stefan kept his eyes down, focusing on the walk.

As night slowly fell after what felt like eternity, Caroline grabbed Stefan's arm and turned him toward her.

"Okay, seriously, what's going on? Just tell me. This is so awkward and I don't want us to be awkward, we're friends, and I didn't mean to ruin that at all. I'm sorry I shouldn't have gotten drunk and I shouldn't have slept in your bed and I'm just really so sorry," Caroline said in a rush.

Stefan stopped and took a step back. "What the hell are you talking about?

Caroline rolled her eyes. "God, seriously Stefan, stop it. Stop trying to spare my feelings. I really was just drunk and whatever I said or… did, it was stupid and meant nothing. It felt really good to let loose and have some fun, and I am so sorry if I took it too far. Just tell me what happened."

Stefan stood confused. He saw the pain in her eyes and realized the misunderstanding.

"Oh god, no Caroline you didn't do anything, I swear. I just felt really bad the next morning, I saw you creep out of the room and I never wanted to make you feel uncomfortable. My home is your home and I don't want you to feel weird in your own home."

Caroline stared at him for a long time. "You're being serious? I didn't do anything… embarrassing?"

"No. Well, you did drink a lot of my alcohol so you're going to have to buy more. That's pretty embarrassing."

Caroline playfully punched him and they laughed.

"Ugh, okay, wow this has been such a stressful few days for nothing. I thought you might feel weird about me being in your bed, and honestly I wasn't sure if I chose to sleep there on my own and made you stay in there with me… so I crept out. Then when you pretended to be busy I thought you were just trying to keep your distance from me. I was sure I must have admitted something on accident…"

Caroline trailed off as Stefan eyed her curiously.

"Oh yeah?" His heart pounded a little harder. "What would you have to admit to me?"

And just like that, a dark cloud above them shuddered and lightning lit up the sky. A torrential downpour flooded their feet and soaked their clothes immediately.

"Woah what the hell?" Stefan yelled over the rain.

"We should have checked the weather," Caroline hollered back, "how far away from the house are we?"

Stefan looked around.

"Probably a few miles. We could run?"

"I think the Lockwood property is around here somewhere. We could wait out the rain in there?"

They walked a bit further until they found the stairs to the cellar and hurried inside.

"Woo!" Stefan hollered, shaking his head as the water poured from his hair.

"Right? Geez, all my stuff is soaking wet. At least we can't get sick right?" Caroline joked, unzipping her jacket and pulling her t-shirt over her head. A soaked tank top and jeans stuck to her, revealing her slim figure.

"Jesus," Stefan breathed, staring at Caroline's subtle curves.

"What?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Stefan said, turning his back to her to avoid being distracted again.

She slid down the wall to sit on the cool cement floor of the cave. She rang out her hair and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Okay, so now what?" she asked.

"Well," Stefan said. "I believe we were having a conversation before the rain started. And I'd like to finish it."

He was doing his absolute best not to get his hopes up. He truly had no idea what she would say.

"Oh I was just saying I was sure I'd said something stupid when I was drunk is all," Caroline tried to brush off the conversation.

Stefan came to sit by her side.

"Yeah, no you said you thought you may have admitted something. What would you have to admit to me?"

Caroline forced a laugh.

"Nothing. Seriously, it was nothing, I have no confession, just was worried I said something dumb."

They sat in silence for a moment. Stefan forced himself not to groan in frustration, but he knew if he pushed the issue she may shut down for good. He got up and rounded the corner of the cellar. Caroline looked up.

"Hey what are you doing?"

Stefan reappeared with a bottle of clear liquid in his hand. Caroline stared at him for a moment.

"Why is it that the Salvatore's always have alcohol? I mean is it a magic trick you guys do or something?"

Stefan laughed and sat back down next to her. She glanced at the bottle.

"What is that? Vodka?"

Stefan raised his eyebrows at her incredulously.

"What am I, a sorority girl?" He raised the bottle and shook it. "It's tequila."

Caroline snorted.

"Oh right, because tequila is a very masculine drink."

"You don't mix tequila with cranberry juice so yes, it's a bit more manly," Stefan smiled. "Since you didn't do anything incriminating the other night, let's have some more drinks and see what happens."

Caroline laughed. "Nope. Bad plan."

Stefan held his arms out and looked around the cellar. "What else are we doing?"

Caroline glanced around and listened to the rain fall heavily above them. She glanced back at Stefan and sighed.

"Alright, I'm in," she said, grabbing the bottle, "but I'm also going to be on my game tonight. No stupid comments."

Stefan wiggled his eyebrows at her as she took a sip.

"We'll see."

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	5. Chapter 5

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

"Okay here's the deal," Stefan said, plucking the bottle from Caroline's grasp, "I feel like we suck at talking about our feelings these past few months because we've been worried about Elena's sanity and safety. While I'd like to give myself a pat on the back for being a great friend, I don't think it's healthy for us not to talk about things. So, in order to take a drink from the bottle, you must say one serious feeling you've had this past summer. Deal?"

He had to know. His mind was making wild assumptions and he needed to hear the truth. He was about to unlock the door he'd sealed all summer long. It was time.

Caroline shrugged. She was agreeing to dangerous territory. Time to take the leap. All or nothing, "You're right. Deal." She looked at the bottle then back at him. "You first."

Stefan sighed.

_I need to ease into this._

"Okay. I miss Damon. I know that's obvious but I don't think I've said that out loud. I know he wasn't perfect, and I know we had our problems. But I miss him like I would miss one of my limbs. He just should be here."

Stefan took a swig. Caroline stared at him for a moment.

"Stefan, I know-"

"Nope," Stefan cut her off, "uh-uh. We are not discussing our feelings and analyzing them. We can do that at a later date. Right now, we are just saying the things we've been doing a good job of not saying out loud these past months." Stefan handed her the tequila. "You go."

Caroline smiled and took the bottle. "Fine." She stared down at the floor. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the rest of… forever. I have a dead best friend, a no longer hybrid ex-boyfriend, another friend who just lost the great love of her life and it may change her forever, and a mother who I need to keep safe from all of these horrible things I've brought upon her because I'm a vampire."

Caroline tipped the bottle back and took a big gulp. She passed it back to Stefan and sighed.

"I guess, really, the only person I have left is you. And I'm thankful for you every day."

Stefan fought back the words bubbling in his mouth. He'd made the rules, he needed to abide by them. He smiled at her, trying not to shine his happiness at her words to brightly.

"Mmk," was all he could manage. He turned slowly, thinking of his next confession. He turned back to Caroline. "Okay. I miss Bonnie. I know she and I weren't close but I miss her. She was a great friend to you guys, even to me and it's weird not having her around. She was a good gal."

Caroline laughed as Stefan took a drink. "I knew you had a soft spot for Bonnie. Damon sure didn't. I wonder how they are fairing together, wherever they are."

Stefan laughed a little at the thought of that as well. "Isn't that the truth?"

Caroline got up on her feet. She was sober enough not to speak her deepest secret. Not yet.

"I love being a vampire," she said, grabbing the tequila back. "I love being strong and smart and fast. I do not miss being human at all." She smiled sadly. "I just wish that it didn't bring all of these awful things along with it."

Again, Stefan bit his tongue. He couldn't help feel responsible for all of this. It all started with him coming back to this town. He set off the chain of events that followed. He could trace every bad thing that happened to them back to him coming back.

"Stop," Caroline said firmly. Stefan looked over at her.

"What?"

"Stop blaming yourself. This isn't your fault. I can see it all over your face. Stop it. This is called life, Stefan. We deal with it. It sucks and it hurts, but we'll figure it out. Together."

_Together._ Stefan loved the sound of that.

They both paced as they made statements about their feelings over the past few months and how much they'd missed their friends and family. Each listened to the other, supporting with silence as they laughed at memories and cried at their losses. Finally, the bottle sloshed with only a few ounces left.

Caroline slid back down the wall.

"That was really nice. I feel like we just purged a lot of shit."

Stefan laughed. "Yes we did." He looked down at the bottle. "Technically, it's your turn."

Caroline looked at him and smiled lazily, feeling the tequila hit her harder then she expected. "Okay. I feel like, since you've been such a fabulous listener this evening, that I should be totally honest with you."

Stefan's heart raced. "Do I get that admission now?"

Caroline laughed. "Yes, yes you do. Ugh this sucks, but okay."

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and in a rush she confessed. "You've been a great friend to me and to Elena and I know it could never happen because you dated Elena and you and I are such good friends and I would never let anything happen because I'd never want to make you feel weird around me and I know you still have some feelings for Elena and I thought maybe I'd done something the other night to freak you out and I promised myself I wouldn't act on it because of our friendship and I'm so sor-"

Stefan's phone rang and Caroline snapped her eyes open. He stared at her and she looked at him, motioning toward his pocket.

"Go on, answer it."

He looked at her, bewildered. Was she saying what he thought she was? He couldn't be sure. He needed more information. He needed her to continue. His phone seemed to ring louder and she dropped her gaze. "Answer it," she said firmly.

Reluctantly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the green button.

"Hello? Hey Alaric. Everything okay?"

Caroline stood up. Stefan was barely listening as he watched her saunter over to the stairwell.

"Rain stopped," she called and disappeared up the stairs. Stefan clicked his phone off, hardly saying goodbye to Alaric, and hurried after her.

He ascended the stairs, but when he reached the woods, she was gone.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	6. Chapter 6

She moved quickly, trying to slow her breathing down. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she hurried back to the mansion. She felt like crying but knew any moment Stefan could be at her side. She couldn't believe she'd almost blew up their friendship over a bottle of tequila. So humiliating. She decided to run and sped back to the house at vampire speed.

Caroline threw the front door open and ran upstairs. She locked the door to the guest bathroom and looked in the mirror. She was a mess. Her wet hair stuck to her mascara stained cheeks. Not a stitch of make-up remained in the correct place on her face. She almost laughed at how ridiculous she looked. She'd been on the verge of telling Stefan she was in love with him and this is how she looked. Impressive.

"Caroline?" Stefan's voice came from outside the door and Caroline jumped.

"Yup, I'm here. Just about to take a shower," she called back, her voice shaking.

"Will you come here for a quick second?"

Caroline froze. "Um, yeah I mean can I shower first?"

"No." Stefan said flatly.

Her heart dropped to her stomach and did a flip-flop. This probably wasn't great. She turned the doorknob slowly and walked out to the hallway on shaky legs.

"What's up?" She tried to ask casually but her voice was high and nervous.

Stefan was leaning against the wall, holding his phone.

"Sorry, Alaric just called to let me know Elena was going to stay with him for a while longer," Stefan said, raising his phone up.

"Oh," Caroline said, trying to breath normally, "that's great. I'm glad their spending time together…" she trailed off and her words hung heavy in the room.

Stefan stared at the floor with a very serious face.

"So… all good?" she asked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stefan looked up at her. "Um, no. No, not really."

Caroline stood very still, staring at the wall behind Stefan, refusing to look him in the eye.

"I'm kind of confused, Care," he started, then paused. He thought for a moment and decided he needed to be direct. "I mean I think I know where that was going back in the cellar but you talk a million miles a minute and twist all your sentences together, and so now I feel like I'm not entirely sure."

Stefan waited. Caroline didn't move.

"So… can you explain it again?" Stefan asked as though that should be obvious.

Caroline forced a laugh. "You know what, just forget about it, I mean we were drinking, I was loopy and it all got kind of lost. Don't even worry, everything is fine."

Stefan stood upright and took a step toward her. "No, don't do that," he said, more intensely then he meant. He could feel the desperation building inside him. He couldn't help it. He needed to know. "Don't brush it off. Just tell me, straight and directly. What is it that you were trying to say?"

Caroline crossed her arms and looked away. "Stop it, Stefan. Just leave it alone. It's not important."

"Yes it is, Caroline," Stefan said, narrowing his eyes and walking toward her. "Tell me."

_Please, _Stefan silently begged,_ I need to hear it._

Caroline refused to meet his gaze. She chewed her bottom lip nervously staring at the ceiling.

"Leave it alone," Caroline said with an edge in her voice.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Care?" Stefan said angrily and Caroline snapped her head back to look at him in shock. He stopped only a few feet from her.

_I'm not going to leave it alone._

"What?" Caroline responded, matching his anger.

"Don't play these games with me," Stefan demanded. He was losing control. He had to know. "Were you telling me you want me back there?"

_Just say it, and I'll give it to you, Care. I promise._ Stefan held his ground, never averting his eyes from her.

"Forget about it, Stefan," she almost yelled in frustration.

"No, I'm not going to forget about it," Stefan shouted back, "I won't. Why can't you tell me what you want? It's not that hard."

_I can't forget it. _Stefan's inner thoughts were dominating him.

"It is that hard," Caroline's voice cracked as a tear fell from her eye. "It'll ruin everything."

"What will?" Stefan's voice softened and he took another step toward her and Caroline backed up, hitting the wall behind her. Stefan had her cornered.

_It won't ruin anything. I want it too. Just say it._

"Never mind," Caroline whispered.

"Godamnit Caroline," he breathed, only inches from her.

Caroline refused to look up at him as he searched her face. She bit her lip, clenched her fists and tried her best to shoot him an angry look. But when their eyes met, it was done.

Stefan's hands came to her face and he pressed his lips to hers urgently, their hot breath tangling. Caroline's body tensed and for a brief moment Stefan pulled back slightly. Then her hands were on him. She reached for his torso and fisted her fingers in his shirt, reveling in his soft lips and secure grip, pulling him to her. She melted into him and Stefan held her close, holding her face in his hands. He sought entrance to her mouth, running his tongue over her lips and she welcomed him willingly. He'd denied himself this for months, taking care to not ruin their friendship. And now here they were, hungrily needing and wanting each other, throwing caution, and possibly their friendship, away. But it didn't matter. Her lips told him everything. She'd wanted this, too. She'd been denying it the same way he had. And giving in had never felt more incredible.

Stefan dropped one of his hands and wrapped it around her waist. She responded, running her hands up his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her close, kissing her tenderly and deeply. She surrendered herself to him, letting his kiss envelop her fully. She brought her hand to his cheek and traced the outline of his jaw down to his neck.

It was everything he'd wanted, everything he'd needed for months. His head was spinning, every ounce of pent up energy he'd had pouring into this kiss. He savored every taste, every touch, every small noise she made. He wanted to remember every moment of this kiss, his body feeling disoriented. He was entirely lost now, no going back. This was the perfect start. But he needed to show her. He needed her to know how deeply he wanted her. He wanted to feel her bare skin pressed to his and hear her moan against him. He wanted to see her lose control, to cry out from pleasure he delivered to her.

Stefan placed his finger under chin and closed her mouth, kissing her softly once more, then ran his thumb over her bottom lip. He pressed his forehead to hers, both of them gasping for air. He had to stop. He had to be sure. He was on the verge of tumbling right over the cliff, letting go of all inhibitions and ripping her clothes off right here. He couldn't do that to her. He wanted this to be the start of something more. He couldn't begin this with a quickie in the hallway. He wanted her. All of her. And he wanted her to feel just how much.

"Caroline," Stefan breathed and he felt her body vibrate as her name rolled off his tongue. He laced his fingers with hers and gazed over her red cheeks and swollen lips. Her eyes were closed, her fingers still trickling down his body. She nodded to his unspoken question.

He turned still holding her hand, toward his room, and she started to follow.

"Hello?"

A shout came from down the stairs, and both Stefan and Caroline froze.


	7. Chapter 7

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

_Of course Elena would come home now_, Stefan thought angrily. He turned to look at a wide-eyed Caroline, then glanced at the stairs. It was times like these he hated vampire senses.

"Hey, Elena, I'm up here," Stefan called, pressing his finger to his lips and pointing toward the bathroom. He knew Caroline couldn't keep a secret to save her life. Getting caught on her way in to have sex with her best friend's ex-boyfriend would not help the issue.

"Caroline's taking a shower," he looked back and forth between the bathroom and Caroline. She stared at him for a moment, the shock and embarrassment freezing her in place. He shook her gently and she refocused, untangling her fingers from Stefan's and backing up toward the bathroom.

"How was your time with the guys?" Stefan said as he descended the stairs and heard the door click behind him.

Stefan found Elena in the living room, tossing a bag of her stuff onto the couch.

"It was really nice," Elena said with a smile. "But Alaric got some weird phone call and told me to come back here until he could come get me. He took Jeremy with him."

Stefan's heart sank. So she would be here indefinitely. Great.

"Okay" was all he could manage. His head was foggy, and he barely realized the look on Elena's face. Guilt overwhelmed him. This is exactly why he should have been keeping his distance from Caroline. He had responsibilities to his friends. He couldn't be worried about himself when everyone else needed him so much more.

"Elena, what's going on?"

Elena sighed and looked up at him. "I don't know, Stefan. I have no idea. Alaric's phone rang, he disappeared to the kitchen, came back into the house, stated that Jeremy would be accompanying him to go meet someone and then dropped me off here. When I tried to ask questions, they answered vaguely. I mean, after all the shit we've been through, did they really not think I'd pick up on the fact that they were hiding something?"

Stefan sat down next to Elena on the couch. "What do you think it is?"

Elena stared at the floor. "That's the scariest part. I have absolutely no idea." Tears came to her eyes. "I mean we've lost so much already. What else could possibly go wrong?"

Stefan instinctively reached out and took Elena's hand. "We'll figure it out, Elena. They can't keep us in the dark forever."

Elena let the tears fall freely now, sobbing quietly. "What if it's really bad, Stefan? What if Alaric is in danger? Or Jeremy? Or Caroline? Or you? I don't think I can take it anymore, Stefan, I really don't." She squeezed Stefan's hand, wrapping her other arm around her torso tightly.

"I miss Damon," she mumbled.

"Me too," Stefan said quietly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caroline's mind was spinning as she stood in the hallway, watching Elena and Stefan comfort each other. She tried to bite down the pang of jealousy that sprung up within her. She knew Elena didn't love Stefan anymore. She'd seen her fall apart over and over the past four months and knew Damon was her everything.

But she couldn't help the uneasy feeling that Stefan may still have lingering feelings for Elena. They had quite a past. One that wasn't easy to forget.

_You guys have kissed a total of one time. You don't own him. He owes you nothing._

She was overreacting. If Stefan had feelings for Elena, that was his business. He wasn't her boyfriend. He could do or feel whatever he wanted.

What had that kiss meant, anyway? Neither of them had had any physical contact in months. Was it lust that drove him to kiss her or something more? She couldn't be sure. And she would absolutely not be the one to bring it up. They were right back to square one. Elena still needed them. The three of them were still supporting each other.

_Play your part_, she told herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, are you okay?" Caroline's voice startled Elena and Stefan and they both jumped slightly. "Sorry, I just got out of the shower."

Stefan's mouth fell open at the sight of Caroline wrapped in a white robe, dabbing her wet hair with a towel. Her skin glowed a light shade of pink from the heated shower, her cheeks still a little damp. She glistened in the sunlight and he could have sworn he was in the presence of an angel.

_Do not ever say that out loud. That is a terrible line._

He let go of Elena's hand and clasped both of his hands tightly in his lap, forcing himself not to reach out and grab Caroline. He wanted to yell in frustration, as well as fix his jeans that were slowly tightening at the sight of her. He'd been so close to everything he wanted only moments ago and now here he was, back to the same routine, avoiding and stifling his feelings. He cursed himself for being turned on by something as simple as a recently showered Caroline.

_You're pathetic._

He breathed a sigh of relief when Elena began to answer Caroline's question. He focused on breathing evenly, and avoided looking at Caroline. He didn't think he would be able to say a word at this point.

_That's because you're thinking about your dick, dumbass._

"Something's going on, Care," Elena said, and Stefan focused on her words, trying to draw himself out of his haze. Elena reiterated what happened with Alaric and Jeremy.

"Okay, hasn't everyone realized secrets don't work in this group? We always find out," Caroline groaned. "Maybe Alaric forgot that. He did just come back to life."

Elena's eyes widened at Caroline and her mouth fell open. "Oh no."

"What?" Caroline asked. If Stefan had been more focused he would have asked the same question.

_Snap out of it, _he demanded to himself.

Elena fidgeted in her seat, worry plastered across her face. "The other side. What if someone else had gotten through before Bonnie died? What if someone else is back? Someone we don't want back?"

"Like who?" Stefan managed to cough out, hoping no one noticed the shakiness in his voice. He needed to finish this conversation and leave the room. He couldn't be this close to Caroline and not touch her. Not take off her robe and do all the things he'd imagined for months…

_Knock it off._

"Like Kol? Or any one of the travelers? We could be in deep shit here and not even know it," Elena's voice brought him closer to reality but the world still seemed far away.

Caroline thought for a second, then spoke. "No… I don't think so. I mean I was there right from the start, I would have seen them come through. Besides, if it were Kol, he would have stayed to kill every single person that came back. And Bonnie would have told you guys when you got to her, right?"

"No one came back," Stefan groaned, trying to sound annoyed and not aroused. He hoped his hands in his lap were covering him. He couldn't take it much longer. Even her voice was sexy.

Elena looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, then narrowed her gaze at Stefan. He barely caught her look, and stared back, his eyelids hanging low. "What?" he squeaked.

"Stefan," Elena said slowly, "if you know something, you'd tell us, right? You were one of the last ones to come through. Did Bonnie tell you something?"

Stefan stared incredulously at her, sudden anger bubbling inside him. "Are you kidding?"

Elena relaxed a little. "Okay, so you don't know."

Stefan, infuriated, got up from the couch. "No," he spat, "but thank you for accusing me anyway. If I thought we were all in danger, I would have told you. It's not fun to keep secrets from you, Elena. I try not to make a habit of it."

Stefan barely registered his lie. He was keeping a secret from her, about Caroline. But he didn't have time to worry about telling Elena. He felt an unnecessary amount of rage rising within him.

_That's because you're thinking about fucking Caroline._

He had to get out of here. He started walking toward the stairs.

"Sorry Stefan, I just had to be sure," Elena said, "Bonnie spent a lot of her last few weeks trying to shield us from the danger she was in. It would make sense that she told one of us something and asked them to keep the secret. Why are you getting so upset?"

_Because you won't shut up and let me leave the room so I can take care of the hard-on I have right now, Elena. _

"I'm not upset," Stefan said tightly, "I just don't know anything."

He tried to avert his eyes from Caroline as he brushed past her but couldn't help stealing a glance of her perfect frame. Her big blue eyes stared back at him and he groaned. "I need to go shower."

"Now?" Elena asked. "Stefan, we need to figure this out. We have to do something."

Stefan's vision blurred as he hurried out of the room. He needed release. He needed to get rid of all this tension within him.

He hurried to his room, locked the door and tore off his clothing. He turned on the hot shower, wrapped his hand around himself and let a moan of relief at the contact.

_This isn't going to satisfy you for long._

He knew that. But he couldn't go on like this. He still needed her so badly. Is this how it would be now? Every time he laid eyes on her he would need to go "take a shower"? He felt like he was going crazy.

He let out a strangled cry as he spilled himself onto the shower floor. He pressed his hand against the cool tile wall and took a deep breath.

_You need to get a hold of yourself._

He grabbed a towel and dried himself off, feeling ashamed but much calmer. He could still feel the tension within him, but it was dull and no longer felt like it was about to snap in half.

"Stefan?" Caroline called from outside his door.

"Yeah?" he called back.

"Alaric is back. Come downstairs."

Stefan threw on his jeans and a t-shirt and sauntered down the stairs. He scanned the room and took in the scene before him. Alaric sat on the couch and Jeremy leaned against the wall. Elena and Caroline both stood pacing and waiting.

"What's up?" Stefan asked, feeling the tension in the room.

Alaric looked at Stefan then back to Elena. "Uh, look I don't want to get anyone's hopes up and I have been keeping this on the down low until I had something definitive and possible. But I need your help now."

Stefan frowned and he walked further into the room. "What is it?"

Alaric breathed deep and looked around the room at everyone, then back to Stefan.

"I think I found a way to bring Bonnie and Damon back."

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	8. Chapter 8

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. This story is still very much Steroline-centric, but it's becoming more of how I'd like Season 6 to go. Reviews are much appreciated! Thank you for following this story!****

"What?" Caroline, Stefan and Elena all said in unison.

"Way to drop that bomb, Alaric," Jeremy chuckled.

"Wait, I thought we determined that wasn't possible," Stefan said, trying to stay levelheaded.

Alaric looked up at him. "I guess we didn't go deep enough the first time."

Elena and Caroline looked back and forth at Alaric and Stefan.

"What first time?" Elena asked, her face lighting up with anger.

Stefan sighed. "The first few weeks you stayed here, I had Alaric go on a bit of a hunt. We didn't want to tell you in case nothing came of it." He narrowed his eyes at Alaric. "No reason to get anyone's hopes up."

They'd been down this road already. He'd sent Alaric all over the nation trying to find someone who could help them the weeks following the loss of Bonnie and Damon while Stefan stayed back to take care of the girls. Every witch, vampire and werewolf he found told him the same thing. If the "other side" for supernatural creatures no longer existed, they had no way to bring them back. No one was even sure where the other side's resident's had gone.

"And you didn't think to tell me? You didn't think I could help?" Elena demanded.

"Or me?" Caroline said, matching Elena's anger.

Stefan ran a hand down his face. Wasn't it obvious why he wouldn't tell them anything? If something happened to them… to Caroline… he'd never forgive himself.

"Okay, no offense, but neither of you were stable enough to get anything done," Alaric said matter-of-factly. "We all know you would have done anything to get information. You could have ended up hurt or killed. We were trying to protect you."

"Oh right, because Jeremy is so stable," Elena shouted, her face reddening. "Why would you involve him? Something could have happened to him. I should have been there."

"He didn't involve me until today, Elena. Relax," Jeremy said sternly.

Elena went to protest again, but Caroline grabbed her arm gently. "Jeremy is fine, Elena. Let's get back to the current pressing issue," she said calmly. "So what do we know and what do we need to do?"

"Well," Alaric started, "I've been across the world the past few months. Any supernatural creature I could find I gathered information from. Any connection they had I documented and took as a lead. I finally came across a pack of werewolves in the Midwest who used to run with a coven of witches to help them with their transformations every month."

"Really?" Elena interjected. "You just came across a pack of wolves that decided to help you out of the kindness of their heart?"

Alaric sighed. "I brought along some reinforcements."

Elena's eyes widened. "What? Did you bring Jeremy? You guys could have been killed!"

"Uh no. I brought Tyler."

Caroline took a step forward. "What? Is he okay?"

Stefan's stomach dropped at the tone of her voice. He tried to force himself passed the childish feeling of jealousy that filled him, but it was no use. He glared at the floor.

"He's fine. He was a huge help getting me into the pack. He didn't want to be a part of the rest of the plan, though. He doesn't feel like he'd be much help without his vampire side."

Stefan kept his eyes on Caroline and the jealousy subsided a bit as he saw relief pass over her face. She still cared about Tyler's safety. Somehow, that only drew Stefan to her more. She had the biggest heart. She had to be the most selfless person he knew.

"Well, he was stupid for going with you on this suicide mission," Elena said.

"Can you let him finish?" Jeremy said.

Elena huffed and sat back down.

"Anyway," Alaric continued, "I explained our situation to the pack. Turns out the Alpha was related to the witches and we found we had something in common." He looked around the group. "The coven are a group of Bennett witches."

Silence fell around the room as they let that sink in.

"Wait," Caroline said slowly, "so, Bonnie has werewolves and witches in her bloodline? I thought that wasn't possible."

"Apparently you can have both in your family, but each individual person can only be one or the other," Alaric explained. "I got a call from the Alpha today and got the contact information for the coven." He looked at Elena. "That's when I involved Jeremy. I took him to dinner and told him everything. We agreed it was time to tell all of you."

"Oh yeah, thanks for including us," Elena said bitterly, "but how do we know they can bring Bonnie back? Or Damon? Witches hate Vampires."

"Well, it's not completely clear," Alaric said, "but it's our best shot. I gathered some information through my travels that families of witches can bring back their own."

"What about Damon?" Elena repeated.

Alaric sighed. "I don't know. But we have to go see them and see what they can do."

"What do you need from us?" Caroline asked.

"Well I don't think it'd be the smartest idea for me to go into a coven of witches alone," Alaric smiled.

"Yeah, because it was a brilliant idea for you to go into a pack of werewolves alone," Elena spat.

"Can we get passed that?" Alaric asked. "I think we need to try."

"Well, I don't think it's the greatest idea," Caroline said simply, "but Alaric is right. We have to try."

"Okay," Elena said conclusively, "when do we leave?"

"Are you all out of your fucking minds?" Stefan almost yelled, the silent fury inside him bubbling over. All four of his friends turned to look at him.

"Stefan," Elena said softly, walking toward him. "It's Damon and Bonnie. We have to try."

Stefan glared down at her. It felt like his heart was being torn in two. Of course he wanted Damon back. And Bonnie. But he couldn't allow this. He couldn't let Caroline walk into danger like this. He couldn't put her in harms way because there was a fraction of a possibility that they could bring them back. This was too big.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "They wouldn't want us to risk it."

He turned toward the front door.

"How about we vote on it?" Jeremy said.

Stefan scoffed, turning around to look at him. "Okay fine. All in favor of this?"

Everyone but Stefan raised their hand, as he knew they would. "Fine. Then I'll go see this coven. Alone."

"What? No, Stefan, you can't go by yourself," Elena protested. "We're all here, we'll all go together."

He eyes flickered to Caroline and then back to Elena. "No," he said flatly, then turned around and walked out the door.

The cool air hit him and he darted toward the forest. He walked out as far as he could before panic set in and he heaved deeply. He put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. His head spun with every possibility and outcome of this situation he'd just been thrown into. Could they really bring back Damon? Could they do it safely? Could he protect Caroline? Could they really start something if Bonnie and Damon were back? He felt sick. He was stupid for putting Caroline this far up on his priority list. How could he feel so strongly for this girl when the possibility of his brother coming back was hanging in the balance? They weren't together. They'd made no pledges of devotion to each other or promises of eternity.

_She's not yours._

He laughed bitterly at that thought, a similar sentiment crossing his mind earlier that day.

He'd have to go on his own. He would have to follow this lead alone. If he died then so be it. At least Caroline would be safe. If he succeeded, then they'd have Bonnie and Damon back.

"So clearly, you're in love with Caroline."

Stefan whirled around to find Alaric staring at him, his signature smile plastered across his face.

"What?" was all Stefan could manage.

"Come on. It wasn't hard to miss those longing glances and your fists balling up at the sound of Tyler's name." Alaric chuckled as Stefan's eyes widened in embarrassment. Was it really that obvious?

"Relax," Alaric said, putting his hands up. "I don't think anyone else noticed. Elena and Jeremy are so wrapped up with the possibility of bringing their loved ones back, I doubt they saw anything."

Stefan blew out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in and shook his head. "Why did you walk in and announce the potential of getting them back to everyone? Why didn't you come to me first?"

Alaric looked down. "I'm sorry. I got a call while Elena was with me and it caught me by surprise. She can detect deceit from like a mile away. I didn't have a choice, so I decided to come clean to the group. Besides, we need man power for this, Stefan." He paused then smiled. "I would have tried to be more discreet if I'd have known about Caroline." He winked at Stefan.

He looked up at Alaric and couldn't help but laugh. This was an absolutely ridiculous situation. It felt good to laugh. "So on a scale of one to ten how screwed do you think I am?"

"Oh, a ten, most definitely."

They both laughed at that, then settled back into the reality of things.

"Be honest," Stefan said diplomatically, "how strong of a chance do we have of getting them back?"

"Honestly? Pretty slim."

Stefan sighed.

"But we have to try, Stefan," Alaric looked back toward the house. "There are people in that house that will never be the same if we can't get them back." He looked back at Stefan. "And that goes for the people standing right here as well."

Stefan crossed his arms and looked at Alaric. He knew he was right. They had to follow this and see where it led. He'd never be able to live with himself if he knew there was a sliver of a chance that he could bring Damon back and didn't take it. This was his burden to bear. He couldn't let anyone else go. He had to do it on his own.

"Okay," Stefan said, "I'm in. But just you and me, okay? We can't let the rest of them risk their lives."

"It's riskier to go with two people, Stefan. We need back up."

"Or it could come off as a threat if we show up with a group of vampires, Rick."

Alaric rubbed his chin. "How are we going to get there without anyone knowing?"

"We'll leave early tomorrow morning before anyone is up. Be ready around 6 AM and we'll go. I'll pack up for us tonight."

Alaric smiled. "How are you going to be able to pack with Caroline in your room?"

Stefan looked away, humor playing on his lips. "It's not like that."

"Yet," Alaric said with a wink.

They both chuckled and then shook hands. "Okay," Alaric said. "I'll be ready." He handed Stefan a piece of paper. "Here's the information to the place. They're in a small town in Kansas. The drive is going to suck."

They walked into the house and found everyone hurrying around, getting ready. Elena threw Stefan an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Stefan, it's our only shot," she said as she threw a few blood bags into a duffle.

Stefan forced a smile. "I know."

Elena smiled back. "Good. Okay so we're all staying here tonight to rest up and then leaving first thing in the morning, okay?"

Stefan nodded. "Sounds good."

"Why are we driving, anyway?" Jeremy called from upstairs. "Wouldn't it be faster to fly?"

Stefan panicked. He hadn't thought of them getting there before he could.

"Not in this case," Alaric said. "The next flight out to Kansas is tomorrow night, and it's not nonstop. We'd get there about the same time as if we drove."

"Fair enough," Jeremy said.

_Thank god._

A few short hours later, Stefan heard doors shutting and good night's being hollered. He responded with one of his own, then closed his door. He lay on his bed for what felt like eternity. He did his best not to think about Caroline in the next room over, or how pissed she'd be the next morning. But he knew this was for the best. It was the only way he could keep her safe.

_When I get home, we're going to figure this out._

When the clock struck midnight, he threw a pillow outside his window, then jumped out onto it, landing silently. He climbed into Alaric's brand new SUV, put it in neutral, then got out and pushed it down the driveway. He reached the road and jumped back in the driver's seat, starting the car and pressing the gas pedal. He tore around the corner and onto the highway.

_You made it._

He stretched his fingers, realizing he'd been clutching the wheel tightly. He settled into his drive and turned on the radio. He knew his phone would be blowing up in a few short hours. He felt a twinge of guilt for ditching Alaric, but he didn't feel right asking him to come. Once he got done with the conversation, he was sure Elena would be next to phone him, yelling about how this was about her as well. Caroline would probably call after that, telling him this wasn't his responsibility and that it affected all of them, her beautiful voice running shivers down his spine. And he'd probably hear Jeremy in the background, cursing and demanding they leave. Then they would all be on their way behind him. Hopefully he'd be far enough ahead that he'd get to the witches first and find out if this was even an option.

He needed to do this on his own. For Damon. For Caroline to have Bonnie back.

His devotion to this girl shocked him again and he let his mind wander to her, remember her kiss, her touch. He realized he had barely spoken to her since their heated moment and he knew he'd need to talk to her when he got home. He owed her that. He wasn't even sure how to start that conversation. They'd kissed. They'd almost slept together. But what did she want? Was it a hook up or the start of something?

He was starting to realize exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be the one to hold her and kiss her and make her feel loved. He wanted to run his hands through her hair and look into her beautiful blue eyes. He wanted her in every way possible. He wanted to be the one to bring Bonnie back to her.

"Hello, liar."

Stefan jumped half a foot from his seat and swerved the car, shock and fear jolting his body. He saw light blonde curls in the darkness fumbling over the center console into the passengers seat.

"Caroline!"

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. This story is still very much Steroline-centric, but it's becoming more of how I'd like Season 6 to go. Reviews are much appreciated! Thank you for following this story!****


	9. Chapter 9

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. Steroline hotness is coming very soon, so stay tuned! Thank you for following this story!****

"What the hell are you doing here?" Stefan demanded, fear subsiding and anger taking its place.

Caroline settled in the seat, kicked her feet up and looking over at him. "Oh come on, Stefan. You caved so fast to everyone's protests, I knew you had no intention of us going with you." She stretched and yawned, looking out the window and ignoring Stefan gaping at her. "So I snuck out and guessed you'd take Rick's car since it's the most reliable for a long trip, crawled in the trunk and waited. I'm surprised your vampire senses didn't pick up on me. You were probably distracted with your sneaking out and quick getaway plan, huh?"

Stefan gripped the wheel tighter. "I'm taking you back."

Caroline smirked. "No you're not. We're already two hours in."

Stefan glanced at the clock and stared at it for a moment. Had he really been driving for 2 hours? He'd been so absorbed in his own thoughts he'd missed two whole hours. And he'd missed Caroline in his car. _For two whole hours._ Stefan mentally punched himself in the face.

"If you turn back now," Caroline continued, "I'll wake everyone up and they will all come with us. And I know you don't want that. So you're stuck with me."

Stefan glared straight ahead. "Why are you doing this?"

Caroline relaxed, clearly realizing she'd won. "Because you can't do this alone, Stefan. You need backup. I'm your backup."

"Great," Stefan mumbled through gritted his teeth.

"What? You don't think I can handle it?" Caroline crossed her arms. "You don't think I'm strong enough to be your backup?"

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "That's not it, Caroline."

"Come on, I'm tough," she said, holing her fists up in front of her face," I can hold my own. I can be ruthless."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay."

"What! I can. I'm stealth, too. I can go undetected and then pounce when they don't even see it." She smiled at him, eyes glistening with humor as she punched her fists in the air, pretending to box an unseen object.

Stefan smirked at her rant. "I get it, Caroline."

Caroline frowned and dropped her hands, looking down into her lap. "Oh. I get it. You're going to be weird to me now, huh?"

Stefan froze, his body growing cold. He didn't want to have this conversation as they were literally driving into dangerous territory.

"No," he said softly.

Caroline huffed. "Can we just get over it and focus on getting our friends back? I don't want us to be weird, okay?"

Stefan felt his brain wanting to go into over-drive. Why did she want to get over it? Did it not mean anything to her? Was she just trying to focus on the mission? He tried to shake off all of his questions.

"Okay," he managed.

They continued the ride in silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She didn't want to get over it. She didn't want to ignore it or pretend it meant nothing. She'd been replaying that moment in her head over and over since it happened. That damn hot kiss that made her want more and more. She was about to go to his room with him. She wanted him and was ready to beg him for it.

Why was he acting like this to her? Like he had no interest in even talking to her? Did he really believe that kiss was a mistake? She felt a sinking feeling like her one fear was about to come true. She may have lost her best friend.

She did her best to stare straight ahead, but couldn't help glancing at Stefan. He stared intensely at the road, his body rigid. She gazed at his sculpted body, tracing every muscle along his arm up to his jaw. She'd always noticed how sexy he was. She'd never denied that. But she'd never lusted after him quite like this. Every inch of what was under that t-shirt and jeans was driving her a little bit crazy. She wanted to touch him and feel him against her so badly. She'd been so very close only yesterday and now here she was, maybe even further away then she was before.

Stefan glanced at her, catching her stare. "What?"

Caroline blinked, trying to shake out of her haze. "Nothing," she mumbled, laying her head back against the seat. She closed her eyes.

This was so terribly uncomfortable. And unfair. Were they really going to drive 15 hours in silence? Is this what their friendship had come to?

She had tried to avoid this all summer. She had told him to leave it alone when he pushed the issue the day before. She told him to stop asking, but he kept it up. He'd kissed her. He started leading her to his room. Why was he punishing her? If he regretted kissing her, why couldn't he at least talk to her about it? She felt anger rising within her as she thought this through. He had initiated everything. She was a very willing participant but still. Why was she getting all the blame for this? She didn't put them here. They were both equally at fault. And now he was just going to let her fall out of his life without a word?

This was bullshit. She couldn't let their friendship go on like this. If he was going to be this way, she'd start the conversation. She wouldn't let their relationship go down in flames like this. She'd do everything she could to save it.

"Caroline?"

Caroline twitched and slowly opened her eyes, not realizing she'd drifted off while wrapped up in her thoughts. "Hey," she said groggily.

"I said, we need to get gas," Stefan said.

"Oh, okay."

Stefan turned off the highway and pulled into the first gas station.

"I'll be back," he said and hopped out of the cab.

Her mind was still reeling. They had to talk about this. She couldn't keep this up with him. It was too weird. Too uncertain. Too unlike them. She hated keeping all this inside. They needed to sort this out now.

_Alright, get your shit together, girl. Gather your thoughts. You are having this conversation. _

Caroline stretched, her nerves trying to take over her body. Her adrenaline pumped through her veins as she prepared herself for the uncomfortable situation she was about to start.

_You're doing this. Go._

Caroline threw open the door and walked around to driver's side. Stefan was leaning against the car, arms crossed, clearly deep in thought.

"Hey," she said sharply, a little harsher then she'd meant. _Go with it._ "I have some things I need to say to you."

Stefan looked up at her in surprise. She stopped a few feet away from him, planting her stance firmly. "Okay," Stefan said slowly.

Caroline paused, trying to decide how to start.

_Be direct._

"We kissed," Caroline said, throwing her hands up in the air. "We kissed and it was hot and fiery and mind-blowing. It was a great kiss. I enjoyed the kiss. It was something I've wanted to do for a while and it was as perfect as I expected it to be."

Stefan raised his eyebrows, his interest clearly peaking at her words. Caroline sighed.

"And now it's over," she continued. "We experienced it, I'm glad we did, and now it's done. I'm really sorry that you regret it, but I don't at all. And I think it would be really shitty to let it ruin our friendship."

Caroline's lip trembled as all of her pent up intensity poured out in her words. She hadn't realized how overwhelmed she'd been with so many emotions running through her. She felt hurt that he regretted kissing her. She felt disappointment and rejection that he didn't see something more with her. She felt anger that he would kiss her like that and then treat her like this. But most of all she felt relief. Finally, all of these things were out on the table. She wasn't going to hide anything anymore. This was her moment of truth. She stared at him, eyes narrowed in determination.

Silence. Stefan pursed his lips, arms still crossed. They stood like that for god knows how long until Caroline couldn't take it anymore.

"Hello! Stefan, I am trying to have a fucking conversation with you," she almost shouted, stamping one foot down.

_A bit childish but this is fucking ridiculous._

Stefan didn't move as he stared at her. Caroline was beginning to feel foolish as they stood there staring at each other.

_You didn't do anything wrong. He's the one being a jerk. _

The silence was only adding more time for Caroline's rage to intensify.

"Mmk," she said flipping her hair back, "you are an asshole." And with that, she spun on one heel toward to the gas station entrance.

And then her world went black.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. Steroline hotness is coming very soon, so stay tuned! Thank you for following this story!****


	10. Chapter 10

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Stefan popped open the trunk of the car behind the hotel and hauled Caroline's unconscious body through the back door of the building. He'd already compelled two gas station attendants to forget seeing them, then drove to the hotel down the road, promptly compelling a key from the manager and erasing his memory as well. He didn't need anyone seeing him dragging a lifeless girl into a hotel. Considering it was 5 AM and still dark, he was assuming no one would be around.

He slid the key card down the lock of the room and tossed open the door, careful not to bump Caroline against the wall. He lay her down on the bed then dropped to a chair beside her.

Snapping her neck wasn't the most brilliant plan he'd ever had but what choice did he have? This beautiful girl just told him how much she enjoyed kissing him. He heard the disappointment in her tone when she said they should move on. He knew she wanted more. He was on the very edge of tossing her over his shoulder, caring her to the first hotel he saw, throwing her into bed and making her say his name over and over.

_Well, you did half of those things now didn't you? Minus the neck-snapping part._

But she couldn't know how he felt. Not yet. She would never let him do this on his own if she knew.

He fully realized she was a vampire and could absolutely take care of herself, but he wasn't willing to risk it. Not when he was so close to everything he wanted. He couldn't take her with him. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on the mission at hand while he was constantly watching for her and making sure she was okay. And lord knows she wouldn't listen to reason.

So he'd kept his mouth shut, waited for her to finish her rant, sped up behind her, knocked her out, and threw her into his car.

_Not the best plan you've ever had. _

He stared down at her lying on the bed. He knew she'd wake up eventually and make her way to him, but if he could get a good head start then maybe he could get it done before she got there.

He leaned over and ran his hand down her cheek. He felt a small urge to stay with her. He may have been the one that did this to her but he didn't like her in this state. And he really didn't like the thought of her waking up alone. He thought about what it'd be like if she woke up and he was still here. He wouldn't be able to stop himself then. All alone in a hotel room? His imagination was getting the best of him.

"I gotta do this alone, Care," he whispered. He kissed her forehead and left, hurrying out to his car and starting the engine. He threw the car into gear and sped off in the darkness, trying to stifle the guilt he felt. She didn't deserve what he'd just done, but he prayed she would understand.

Stefan road along silently, allowing his mind to wander. He needed to focus on his task but couldn't seem to let himself forget Caroline's words. She liked kissing him. She'd wanted to do it for a long time. He almost felt giddy at the possibilities ahead for them and let himself smile for the first time that day.

_I'm going to bring them home, Caroline. And then you and I are going to talk._

He jumped at the sound of his phone ringing. He glanced at the clock that glared 6 AM back at him.

"Right on time, Alaric," Stefan said into the phone.

"What the fuck, man? You just bailed on me like that? Not cool, Stefan." Alaric's angry voice rang in Stefan's ears.

"I'm sorry, Alaric, I really am. But I need to do this on my own."

"Oh right, because going with Caroline is the same as going alone."

Stefan tried not to laugh. "Yeah, that wasn't exactly my choice. She hid in the back of the car. I didn't know she was there until two hours into the trip."

"Whatever," Alaric grumbled.

"Don't worry, I took care of it. Caroline isn't with me anymore."

"That is the creepiest thing I've ever heard. What the hell does that mean?"

"Creepy? I didn't kill her, Alaric." Stefan thought about that for a moment. "Well, okay, I did kill her but not permanently."

Alaric scoffed. "You snapped her neck?"

"Yup."

"You're a real dick."

Stefan did laugh this time. "Goodbye, Alaric."

"Be safe, Stefan."

He clicked his phone off and sat back in his seat again, waiting patiently. His phone vibrated again and he clicked Answer without even looking down.

"Hi, Elena."

As he predicted, Elena went off about how this wasn't only about him, it was about everyone and he shouldn't have done what he did. He could hear Jeremy flipping out in the background about getting on the road. He rolled his eyes and let Elena finish.

"We're on our way, jackass. Don't go in without us."

Stefan sighed. "I'll see you when I get back," he said, and clicked his phone off, hearing Elena still yelling as the line went dead. He turned his cell on silent and pressed the gas pedal a little harder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nine hours later, Stefan pulled in to a quiet neighborhood a few miles off the highway. He glanced at his GPS, then down to the piece of paper Alaric had given him to be sure he typed in the correct address and confirmed he had.

_A coven of powerful witches lives in the suburbs. Who knew?_

He drove down roads lined with blue and yellow houses, white picket fences and SUVs parked out front. He drove past small groups of kids riding bikes and playing games. A perfectly normal afternoon for everyone else in the world. He felt a pang of jealousy. How he longed to live a nice normal life like this. A life he could picture quite perfectly with Caroline.

He turned in to a cul-de-sac and slowly crept his car down the road as he watched the numbers change on each house. He stopped in front of the center house at the end. Another blue, white-fenced home. He couldn't believe how normal this all was. Usually on missions like these they would end up in the middle of nowhere at an abandoned house that was falling apart at the seams.

_With no one around to hear you scream._ The thought made Stefan shiver.

He parked his car on the street, unsure of how to proceed. He sat and watched for a few moments, seeing if he could pick up on any patterns. The house sat silent. He saw no movement in or around the house and he began to wonder if anyone was home.

He got out of his car and strolled as casually as he could up to the front door. The curtains were drawn and he listened intently with his vampire hearing for any sounds coming from within. He was met with silence.

_This is getting weirder and weirder._

He hesitantly knocked on the door. He waited for a moment, glancing around to the houses next door and behind him. It was eerily quiet for a sunny afternoon on this one street. He felt the hair stand up on his neck as he thought about the situation he was in. He could very well be surrounded by a dozen very powerful witches and not even know it.

The lock clicked and the door creaked open slowly. Stefan spun back around and watched as a tiny elderly woman peered out through the crack.

"May I help you young man?" she asked in a more pleasant voice then he'd anticipated.

"Uh yeah, hi, I was looking for… someone," he said slowly. How was he supposed to ask if a group of witches lived here?

"And who might that someone be?" the tiny woman asked kindly.

"Um. Honestly, I'm not sure," he thought for a moment and then said, "their last name is Bennett?"

The woman stared back at him without a single emotion then smiled at him. "Well, I don't know any Bennett's off the top of my head but if they live around here, I bet I can help you. Why don't you come on in and we can take a look at the phone book I'm sure I have around here somewhere."

Stefan hesitated. Red flags were being thrown up all over his thoughts but he couldn't quite figure out why. She seemed like an unknowing woman, and she'd invited him in so she must not know about vampires. But why would she invite a stranger into her home? He knew better then to believe someone was doing something out of the kindness of their heart. She hadn't seemed concerned or even curious when he'd said a name she'd supposedly never heard. She barely batted an eye.

"Thank you but I think I'll just keep knocking on doors and see if I can track them down," Stefan said with a smile and turned back toward his car.

"I said come in," a voice came from behind him that no longer sounded like the kind, older woman.

He tried to turn back but his body was immobilized. He was frozen in place as he felt himself being dragged back toward the open door. Darkness engulfed him as he was yanked into the hallway. He watched as the door slam in front of him. He body grew cold and he tried to fight free as fear overtook him. He tried to look around but saw no one in his limited vision.

He abruptly fell to his knees and tried to suck in a deep sigh of relief but the release was short lived. He saw red and his insides burned as he gasped for breath. He fell onto his hands in agony and looked down to find a wooden spear sticking out from his stomach. He'd gained control of his movements again but his body was now paralyzed in pain.

"Vervain steak, in case that wasn't obvious," he heard a voice from beside him. He tried to look but his vision blurred and his body begged him to go under, to make the suffering stop. His eyelids grew heavy and he heard a loud thump, not realizing it was his head hitting the floor.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. Sorry for another cliff hanger ;)****


	11. Chapter 11

*** **I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Stefan rolled his head back as he came to, his eyes still heavy with sleep. His eyelids fluttered and he shook his head trying to focus. He attempted to reach his hands up to rub his eyes and felt the familiar burn around his wrists. He kicked his feet and felt the same sizzling pain. Vervain ropes. He tried to struggle against the restraints but it was no use. His body had no energy to fight off the pain.

His vision finally focused and he found himself sitting in a chair in a dark room with no windows. A basement perhaps? He couldn't be sure. He tried to catch his breath but his body felt exhausted. He tried to remember the last time he fed and panicked as he realized it had been awhile. He wouldn't be able to regain his strength with vervain sinking into his skin.

He tried to look around for something, anything to get him out of this situation but saw only walls. The room was small and dark. He noticed something shiny in front of him. Chains.

_Lovely. They must do this sort of thing a lot._

He looked as far behind him as he could but still, saw no entrance or exit. He scanned the room slowly again, trying to see through the darkness. His eyes fell on a rectangular object in the far right corner. He squinted to see if he could get a better look and saw small squares within the object. He closed his eyes as the alarm bells went off in his head. He glanced up above him and saw a barely visible handle.

_You're in a basement with a ceiling door. That really can't be good._

He closed his eyes as he realized he had no idea how much time had passed. Not only was he in this situation but currently his friends and the girl he loved were on their way here as well.

"Hello?" he yelled frantically. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Silence. He yelled again but still. Nothing. He bit back tears as dread overtook his thoughts. What if they got Caroline? What if they killed her? He hollered once more but still, no one responded.

"Listen," he said loudly, hoping someone was nearby. "I came to ask for your help. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just need to ask you something. If your answer is no then that's fine, I promise I will go away forever. I was asked by someone important to me to come to you. I'm just trying to fulfill my promise."

He closed his eyes as he was met with silence again, and he let a tear fall down his cheek. He wasn't worried about himself. If he died then so be it. But what about his friends?

"Please," he whispered. "Someone, please just come talk to me."

The door above him swung open and he watched as several people descended the ladder. He watched as total of four women lined up in front of him, and he felt a bit of relief.

"Thank you," he said, "please, just hear me out. I need to ask you something and if-"

"We know who you are," one of the witches said, cutting him off. "My nephew told us you'd be coming here."

"Oh right," Stefan nodded, remembering what Alaric had told them. "The werewolf?"

The witch nodded.

"What's your name?"

She cocked her head to the side. "My name is Athea. I am the High Priestess of this coven."

"The what?" Stefan asked, confused.

Athea rolled her eyes. "The High Priestess. It's like the leader of a tribe."

"Oh," Stefan said, realizing by her tone that this must be a big deal. "Well, it's very nice to meet you."

The witches stood silent as Stefan glanced around at them.

_Well, might as well get down to business._

"Okay, great," he said, trying to sound casual. "Listen, my friend Bonnie was lost when the other side disappeared. She was the anchor between both worlds and we don't know where she is. We're hoping you could find her and help us bring her back."

The witches stared at him, and the feeling of relief he'd felt moments ago vanished entirely.

"I'm sorry to come to you like this," he said slowly, "I realize it's an imposition. But she's a Bennett witch, part of your bloodline, and I was hoping you'd want to help."

"What do you want with Bonnie?" another of the witches asked.

Stefan sighed, hoping this conversation was headed in the right direction. "She's a good friend of mine. But more importantly she's the best friend of someone very close to me. Bonnie has done a lot of things for my friends and I over the years. I owe her."

The witches glared down at him.

"We know all about Bonnie's fraternizations with vampires," Athea said snarkily, the other witches grumbling in agreement.

"Look, I know witches and vampires historically haven't always gotten along. But I can promise you I don't want to hurt Bonnie. None of us do. She's just someone really important to all of us. She's an incredible friend."

Athea laughed and Stefan looked up, startled by the sound. "Really? You expect us to believe you came all this way for a friend?"

Stefan knitted his eyebrows together in frustration. "Yes. I do."

"And this has nothing to do with that vampire she brought with her?"

Stefan's eyes widened. Damon? How did they know he was with her? "Do you know where they are?" Stefan said, the anticipation killing him. This was the closest he'd gotten to anything concrete in months and he couldn't help but feel excited.

Athea scowled at him. "How are we supposed to know you're telling the truth? You could be another lying vampire just like the rest of your kind."

Stefan looked down. He had no idea how he was supposed to convince them of that. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment and then looked up. "The girl I'm in love with is Bonnie's best friend," he said. His heart fluttered as he said it out loud. He loved her. He loved Caroline. He hadn't said it out loud and now it was real. He smiled a little, almost feeling giddy. His happiness was short lived as Athea took a step toward him.

"Did you bring anyone else with you?"

Stefan bit his lip in frustration. It was like this woman didn't hear a word he said. She didn't answer his questions or respond to his answers. "No."

An evil smile crept across Athea's face and she looked around at her fellow witches, who were also smirking.

"What?" Stefan demanded, fear flooding his body.

"So you are a liar," Athea said, still smiling.

"What? No, I didn't lie. No one is with me," Stefan said, panicking.

"Girls! Bring her in," Athea called.

The door above them swung open and two new witches stepped down the ladder, supporting an unconscious girl in their arms. Terror ripped through Stefan, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched them drag a seemingly lifeless girl to the wall in front of him. They threw her hands up into the chains on the wall, the sickening click of the cuffs echoing in the tiny room. Her shirt was stained with blood and a large hole was torn through the center.

"She was more difficult to take down then you were," Athea said, matter-of-factly. "We had to throw a Vervain-soaked tree trunk through her stomach just to knock her out. Almost killed her. Oops."

A low growl rippled through Stefan's chest and tears streamed down his face as he roared wordlessly, infuriated and terrified. He watched helplessly as they locked up the girl he loved with absolutely no way out. He banged his fists against the chair and tried struggling against his own restraints again, but it was useless.

"What are you going to do?" he spat, his eyes blood shot with furry.

Athea smiled. "We're not sure yet. But when we decide, you'll be the first to know."

The witches climbed the ladder one by one and disappeared above him. Athea was the last one out. She poked her head back down and smiled at him again. "Sweet dreams," she said as she slammed the door.

Stefan looked toward the door and around the room frantically then back to Caroline. Her arms lay limp at her sides in the chains, her head hanging limp.

"Caroline! Please, Caroline, wake up. Please!" he sobbed, his vision blurry with tears.

_She's not dead. She's not dead. You would know if she's dead._

His brain tried to reason with him and he knew it was true. She wasn't dead. But he was no longer thinking rationally.

"Caroline!" He cried again.

Caroline lay still.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. Sorry again for the cliff hangers but good things are coming I promise!****


	12. Chapter 12

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Caroline woke to a throbbing pain in her head. She rolled her neck, the soreness making her entire body feel stiff. She audibly groaned as she stretched.

"Caroline?"

She opened her eyes, her lids still heavy as she looked to see where the voice came from. She saw a blurry figure in front of her, squinting through the dark, fear rising within her. Who was talking to her? Where was she?

"Caroline, it's me," the voice came again.

_Stefan._

The fear subsided and relief spread through her. "Hi," she said quietly, reaching her hands out toward him, needing to feel him to calm herself down. She felt a sharp pull around her wrists. She glanced violently back and forth to her sides, the fear returning and panic setting in. She yanked the chains again, but her body felt weak. She couldn't break through them.

"What's going on, Stefan?" she asked frantically. She shook her head trying to focus again, her sight still weak from the darkness. She squeezed her eyes shut and snapped them open trying to steady her vision. Stefan's figure slowly focused clearly in front of her and her heart sank at what she saw.

Stefan sat upright in a chair in front of her, his wrists and ankles bound by what could only be Vervain soaked ropes by the looks of the bloody marks they left.

"Stefan," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "My god…"

She'd never felt more helpless in her life. She yanked the chains again furiously trying to break free, her head pounding with every pull. She growled under her breath in frustration.

"It's okay, Care, I'm okay," he said soothingly, seeing the panic on her face. "If I don't move much, it doesn't feel too bad."

Caroline bit her lip and nodded, trying to stop the tears from falling.

She had so many questions. Who were these people and why were they doing this? How were they going to get out? When could she kill them for hurting Stefan? She decided to start with something simple.

"Where are we?" she asked meekly.

Stefan sighed and shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. I believe we're in the basement of the Bennett coven's house, but that's just my best guess."

Caroline's eyes widened. She'd completely forgotten all about the witches. Her mind was still reeling from seeing Stefan in this state.

"Oh shit," she murmured. "I completely forgot." Her eyes darted from side to side as she tried to recall how she got here. She narrowed her eyes at the floor, forcing her mind to remember. "Right, I was on my way here and as I turned down the street, my car died. I tried to restart it but it wouldn't go. So I got out and started walking toward the house with the address Alaric gave us."

She thought for a second. "But something was wrong. The situation didn't feel right. So I turned back toward my car and ran into a woman. She asked if I was okay and if I needed anything. She invited me in to her home. I said no and I tried to leave but another woman appeared, asking the same thing. Every way I turned another woman was there, surrounding me. The only opening I saw was toward the house, so I ran that way. I hopped the fence, ran around the corner and…" she trailed off, remembering that seemingly out of nowhere a tree trunk swung straight into her stomach. She didn't need to give Stefan all of those gory details. She didn't remember anything after that. She looked up to see Stefan's face drain of color as he listened to her story. "Sorry," she whispered, glancing back to the floor in embarrassment.

"You should be," Stefan bit back angrily.

Caroline looked up at him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"You should be fucking sorry, Caroline," Stefan spat, the animosity clear in his words.

Caroline stared at him in shock, not understanding his anger. He was quite literally the only person in the world that she had right at this moment. Why was he being this way to her? She tried not to be wounded by his words. "I am sorry…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Can we just focus on how we're going to get out of here?"

Stefan shook his head in frustration. "I don't know. I have no idea what we're going to do, Caroline. What I do know is that this shouldn't be a 'we' situation. You shouldn't be here." Stefan glared at her as he spoke.

Caroline's eyes blazed with outrage. They were in a life or death situation and this is was how he was going to act? She wouldn't let him treat her like this. "Really, Stefan?" she almost shouted. "Maybe you shouldn't have snapped my fucking neck and left me in a fucking hotel room and then maybe we wouldn't be in this fucking situation."

"Maybe you should have figured out why I snapped your neck and left you behind," Stefan retorted indignantly. "Maybe you shouldn't have followed me because it was pretty fucking clear I didn't want you here."

They were shouting now as their temper's flared.

"Yeah well it's pretty damn obvious that you needed someone here, Stefan. I mean, you came alone and look what happened?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have come alone but even if I had agreed to take someone with me, you certainly would not have been my first choice."

Hurt spread through Caroline like wildfire. The tears were flowing steadily now. "Well guess what, buddy? I'm all you've got. So shut the fuck up and let's find a way out of this."

Stefan laughed bitterly. "Seriously, Caroline? You think there is a way out of this? There is no way out except death. You're going to die here, Caroline. Because of me."

"We're not going to die here, Stefan," Caroline said, trying to sound annoyed and not terrified at his words. "Stop saying things like that. We're going to find a way out."

Stefan stared at her incredulously. "Look around, Caroline. We are in hell. How do you expect us to get out of this?" He stared down at her, his eyes reddening. "You're… you're locked up," he stammered, his voice cracking. He swallowed hard trying to clear his throat. "And I'm tied here." He looked away from her. "I don't see how we can get out of this."

"We'll find a way," she said firmly.

"No, we won't," he said quietly. "I failed. I failed at the one thing I promised I'd do."

"No you didn't, Stefan," Caroline said calmly, trying to sooth him. "We still have time. We can still find Bonnie and Damon."

Stefan scoffed and looked back toward her. "Uh no. We can't. Those witches aren't going to help us." He looked away from her again. "That's not what I was talking about anyway," he mumbled.

"What is you're fucking problem, Stefan?" Caroline shouted, infuriated. "Why are you acting like this? Like all hope is lost?"

"All hope _is_ lost, Caroline!" Stefan yelled back. His head fell forward in frustration and she watched him, still not understanding.

"Stefan, what is going on?"

He looked up, biting his trembling lip as tears filled his eyes. "My one goal was to protect you, Caroline," he murmured. "All I wanted was to keep you safe. And now look where you are." He closed his eyes and heaved, trying to breath as he let out a tiny sob. Caroline's eyes stung with tears as she watched him fall apart.

"Stefan," she whispered.

He opened his eyes, staring at the floor, unable to look at her. "I'm so sorry Caroline. I'm so sorry. I'm so in love with you it hurts and I'm so sorry you're here in this situation. I'm so sorry I can't save you."

Caroline had never wanted to go to him as badly as she did right at this moment. She wanted to crawl into his arms, hold him tight to her and never let go. She wept silently, wanting to say everything and nothing at the same time. She tried to remind herself of how bad of a situation they were in right now. But all she could feel was an overwhelming happiness that she'd been searching for all summer. She had never wanted something so much in her short life and the relief flooded her from head to toe.

_He loves you. He's in love with you._

She let the happy tears fall down her cheeks as she tried to gather her thoughts, never forgetting the boy she loved was falling to pieces in front of her.

_You have his heart. Take care of it._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stefan hardly registered his words. He was half-crazed. Never had he felt so deep in despair as he did now. How was he going to get them out of here? How was he going to save her life? He couldn't see it. He couldn't see a way out. These were extremely powerful witches. Elena and Alaric couldn't save them; they'd have to be invited in. And if they were invited in, they'd be put down here with them. He wanted to scream in frustration, their dire situation consuming him. He had no control over what he was saying. These may be his final words and their final moments together. He couldn't worry about his secrets anymore.

"Stefan," Caroline whimpered in the darkness. He looked down at her and felt a fresh set of tears coming on as he saw her looking up at him under wet lashes of her own.

"I'm so sorry," he said again, helplessly. "I've been through every scenario, Care. I really have. I've run through every option. We have no way out. We have no cards to play. And now they are going to kill the girl I love, and I have no way of stopping it."

"Stefan," Caroline said more firmly.

Stefan bit his cheek and closed his eyes. "What, Care? Do you have some master plan to get us out of here?"

"No," she said simply. "But I know we're going to get out of here. So stop it with the dramatics, okay?"

Stefan stared at her incredulously. "What the fuck are you talking about? Have you heard a word I've said?"

"Yes, I have heard every word Stefan." She sighed. "But I refuse to believe that the universe would allow us to fall in love with each other, finally admit it after months of denial and then kill us off immediately after. I don't believe life could be that cruel."

She said this all in such a matter-of-fact way that it took Stefan a second to respond. He stared for a minute, and she cocked her head to the side. A smile crept across her face slowly, her damp cheeks glimmering ever so slightly.

"You…you too?" was all he could manage.

_That was a dumb thing to say. She just told you she loved you. You can't ask the full sentence? _

But it was all he could manage. He stared at her as Caroline nodded, her smile almost full now. She shrugged. "Me too."

The door above them swung open and one of the witches he'd seen before descended the ladder. She turned and in her hand she held two syringes.

"Sorry kids, you're chatting is getting on my nerves," she said.

"No, please," Stefan said. She gripped his head and stuck the needle in his neck. "Please, don't. Please, Care…" he said, slowly losing consciousness. He faintly heard Caroline struggling against her chains as he passed out entirely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Stefan? Stefan, come on, you gotta wake up. We have hardly any time."

Stefan felt cool hands on him and he tried to open his eyes, his body still feeling the affects of the Vervain. He felt something fall into his lap and he tried to focus his vision. What was that? It was dark red with a white label…

_Blood bag. Holy shit, it's a blood bag._

He threw his hands to his lap, anticipating to fight the Vervain ropes but found himself freed. He threw his fists to his eyes and rubbed vigorously, clearing his vision to find Caroline. She needed the blood more then he did. Who was helping them? Where was Caroline? He needed to be sure she was safe.

He saw a small woman leaning over Caroline, unlocking one of the chains around her wrist. She crept to the other side of her and repeated the process. She gently shook Caroline's shoulder. "Caroline? Come on, you guys, we have to go." She shook her gently again. Caroline slowly came to and Stefan's heart felt like it started beating again. The small woman put a blood bag to Caroline's mouth and Stefan breathed a sigh of relief. Caroline grabbed it after a moment as she smelled what it was and drank it quickly, her eyes barely open. The small woman patted her on the back. "Good girl. Stefan, are you drinking yours too?"

The woman stood and turned toward him and Stefan gasped.

"Bonnie?!"

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	13. Chapter 13

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Caroline could feel her body strengthening as she squeezed the blood bag dry. Her vision cleared almost immediately and she sprung up at the sight of someone standing over Stefan. Her fangs extended and she growled as she lunged forward.

Stefan was on her before she could reach the girl. "Caroline," he said, gently shaking her. "It's Bonnie." He gripped her shoulders and Caroline paused at his words. "It's Bonnie," he said again. Confusion and excitement shot through her. Could it be true? She stopped breathing as she stared at Stefan and he nodded to her encouragingly. She trusted him with everything she had. His eyes told her everything. Her mouth fell open in shock and she peeked over his shoulder.

Bonnie turned around, throwing her hands up in front of her protectively. "It's okay, Care, it's me."

Caroline's fangs retracted and her eyes widened. "B-B-Bonnie?" she stuttered, slowly moving around Stefan. She stared at the girl, her brain trying to process what she was seeing. Her eyes filled with tears as she came to realize this was not some trick of her imagination. "Oh my god," she said, throwing her arms around her best friend. She sobbed as she hugged her, still struggling to fully believe this was real.

"Hey, Care," Bonnie said through tears of her own.

"How… how are you here?" Caroline asked, still hugging her tightly.

Bonnie pulled back from the hug. "I'll explain in a minute, but right now, we have to go." She walked toward the ladder. "We have about two minutes before 20 witches descend upon us."

Bonnie ascended first and Caroline went to follow. Stefan grabbed Caroline's arm and turned her toward him.

"Hang on," he whispered. He took her face in his hands and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes, melting into his tender touch. It was a soft, gentle gesture and still she could feel her body heating up with need. She slid her hands up his arms, holding tightly to him, wanting nothing more then to be home in his room, alone with him.

"Sorry," he whispered in the darkness as he pulled back all too soon. "I couldn't wait any longer to do that."

Caroline's heart beat faster, her pulse quickening at his words.

"Stefan," she murmured, trying to catch her breath. "When we get home… the things I want to do with you…"

Stefan chuckled and lovingly kissed her cheek. "You read my mind, doll."

Caroline groaned quietly as Stefan dragged her up the ladder. As they reached the top a suspicious Bonnie met them with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Caroline asked all too innocently.

Bonnie cocked her head to the side. "Are you two-"

"Bonnie, we've barely had that conversation, so we're certainly not going to have it with you," Stefan said, cutting her off. He looked over at Caroline. "But yeah we are." He smiled sheepishly at her. "Is that okay to say?"

Caroline's cheeks burned with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. "Yes," she said meekily.

"Oh my gosh!" Bonnie squeaked excitably, smiling widely.

"Okay, let's chat when we're free of scary witch covens who have the power to lock vampires in creepy basements," Caroline said, winking at Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded. "You're right. Come on."

They followed Bonnie down a corridor and up a flight of stairs. They rounded the corner into another hallway that seemed to go on for eternity and then up another set of stairs.

"This place is like a maze," Stefan murmured.

"This place is a combination of twelve houses," Bonnie whispered over her shoulder. "You guys were put in the deepest, darkest hole of this place."

"How do you know all of this?" Caroline asked, trying her best to keep her voice down but all of her questions were boiling at the surface.

"I've been living here for four months."

"What?!" Stefan and Caroline exclaimed together.

"Shhhh," Bonnie shushed sharply. "Wait until we're outside."

Stefan grabbed Caroline's hand tightly as they rounded corners and climbed stairs and she smiled. Elena had always told her stories of how incredibly romantic Stefan. Caroline never dreamed she'd be in this position, on this side of his affection. He was so tender and kind, always protecting her and worrying about her safety before his own. Putting her life above everyone else's.

_So this is what it's like to be loved by Stefan Salvatore._

She couldn't believe she was this lucky. She'd known he loved her for a few hours at most and already he'd shown his love for her so fiercely. She tingled with happiness.

Finally, they turned toward a door and Bonnie turned the handle. The three of them spilled out into the darkness. Caroline breathed in the cold air deeply, realizing how awful a dusty, confined space really was. Bonnie darted across the street, waiving them along as she ducked behind a house. They followed, and Caroline looked behind her, realizing they had left the cul-de-sac of the witches. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders. They were free.

"Okay," Stefan whispered as Bonnie stopped. "Time to spill. How are you here? Why were you there? What is going on?"

Bonnie sighed. "Okay. I've been living there for four months, yes. My Grams said she'd taken care of it when she knew I was going to die. To her, sending me to family was 'taking care of it.' Those are my cousins, seconds cousins, third cousins twice removed and so on in there. When the other side crumbled, I was sent here immediately to what I can only describe as a compound. These witches have taken over that entire section of the neighborhood, with secret tunnels attaching all of their homes together underground. They harness all of their magic here and they are the most powerful within the block of their homes. That's why it seemed like it was so easy for them to take you down."

"Wow," Caroline said, tears coming to her eyes. "All this time, you were here. Alive. All these months…"

"Don't cry, Care," Bonnie said tenderly, reaching for her hand. "There was no way you could have known."

Caroline nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. "Sorry. I just missed you so much."

Bonnie's lip trembled a little. "I missed you guys too. More then you know." She squeezed Caroline's hand and she smiled.

"Okay. Well now you're free. And we can go home," Caroline said happily.

Bonnie dropped Caroline's hand and looked down. "Well… it's not that simple."

Caroline's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Bonnie sighed. "Look, when I got here, the witches hurried me inside and locked all of the doors with magic. I explained to them that I had to get back to you guys. I told them about Jeremy and everything." She kicked a rock nearby. "But, as we know all too well, witches don't trust vampires. My Grams told them all about my relationships with you guys and they took that as a cause to save me. They don't want me spending time with vampires."

"Well, fuck that," Stefan said. "You belong with us. With Jeremy. You don't have to stay here. We're out, Bonnie. Let's go."

Bonnie didn't move. "That's the thing. I can't. I sort of made a deal."

"What? What are you talking about, Bonnie?" Caroline's body felt cold, like something really terrible was about to come out of Bonnie's mouth.

A car drove slowly down the street next to them, flipping off its lights as it crept closer to the witch's road. Caroline glanced over and froze. "Uh… that's Elena's car."

"Oh shit," Stefan said, "they're here." He darted out toward the road and waived down Elena, Alaric and Jeremy as Caroline and Bonnie stayed hidden in the shadows.

Caroline turned back to Bonnie, watching as Bonnie's eyes widened in fear and worry. "Bonnie. Tell me what deal you made."

"Jeremy," Bonnie whispered. She started visibly shaking as she stared at the car, and Caroline placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Bonnie? Bonnie, talk to me."

"Care," she croaked, "I have to go. I can't see him. I can't see him and then leave him again." Tears filled her eyes again and she took a step back. "I have to go," she repeated.

"Bonnie!" Caroline shouted. "Tell me what deal you made."

Bonnie looked toward Caroline like it was the first time she was seeing her. "I… I made a deal. I have to stay with the witches in order to save you guys."

Caroline frowned.

"Well, you're out now, so let's just go and not look back, Bonnie," Caroline said simply. They were free from the house, from the block. They could run. Why wasn't Bonnie willing to do that?

"Caroline, I haven't been able to leave for four months. Don't you think I've dreamed about running out of those homes, out of this town and back to you guys? I can't. Because if I did, they would kill him. They agreed not to touch him if I stayed, just let him live a miserable life within the confines of the house. But they promised not to kill him. That deal still stands. That's the only reason he's still alive. That's the only reason you guys are still alive. Now, they've finally agreed to let him go and you guys go if I swear I will never leave. They agreed to let me get you out, say my goodbyes, then go back forever. They want to rule the mystical world, Care. They want to be the most powerful coven to ever live. They can't do that without me."

"Jeremy is safe with us, Bonnie," Caroline asked frantically as Bonnie took a step backward. "We can protect him and you. We can do this, we just need to go."

Bonnie's face went pale as she stared at Caroline. "It's not Jeremy they want to kill," she said softly.

Caroline knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Well, who else would they threaten to hurt?"

And suddenly, she knew. She knew but she needed to hear Bonnie say it. She held her breath.

Bonnie closed her eyes. "I have to get back now. They'll kill him if I'm not back soon," she said calmly.

"Who is it, Bonnie?" Caroline asked again, alarmed by Bonnie's demeanor.

Bonnie took another step back and shrugged her shoulder. "Damon, Care. They have Damon."

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	14. Chapter 14

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Caroline's eyes widened. "What? Oh my god, he's here? Damon's alive?"

Bonnie nodded.

Caroline looked back toward the car, watching as Elena climbed out of the car, Jeremy following close behind her. Caroline's mind spun with the information she just received.

_Bonnie is alive. Damon is alive. If we give up Bonnie, we get Damon. If we give up Damon, we get Bonnie. How the fuck was this shit fair?_

Caroline's blood boiled with anger. It wasn't right. She turned back toward Bonnie, but all she saw was darkness. Bonnie was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Caroline," Stefan called as he jogged back toward her. Elena, Jeremy and Alaric followed close behind. Caroline turned back toward him and the grave look on her face ran a cold shiver up Stefan's back. "Care, what happened?"

"Where's Bonnie?" Jeremy demanded, looking around eagerly. "Stefan said she was alive, that you saw her? Where is she?"

The four of them surrounded Caroline and she sighed. "Bonnie said she had to go back. She made a deal with them that she would stay with them if they agreed not to kill someone."

"We have to go get her," Jeremy said frantically. "She's alive, you guys. Bonnie is alive. We have to get her. I have to see her. We can protect anyone they want to kill, especially if we have Bonnie."

Stefan put his hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Jeremy's right. We can keep them from killing someone more easily then we can save Bonnie if she goes back in that house. We have to stop her from going in." Stefan tried to take a step around Caroline but she darted in front of him, putting her hand on his chest.

"Wait, Stefan, there's more," she said, her voice shaky.

Stefan stopped, worry creasing his forehead.

"What is it?" Jeremy demanded, panting with frustration. Stefan's heart went out to the kid. He would have been the same way if he had just found out Caroline was alive after four months of thinking her dead.

Caroline blew out a breath and looked around the group. "They have Damon and they are going to kill him if she doesn't go back."

Stefan's eyes widened and he looked sharply toward Elena, meeting her eyes and a similar look on her face. They stared at each other in silent disbelief_._

"What?" Alaric asked, apparently the only member of the group able to speak.

"Yeah," Caroline nodded, "Damon is alive and they are going to kill him if Bonnie doesn't go back."

"So she's sacrificing herself again?" Jeremy bellowed angrily, bawling his fists.

"We have to go," Elena said softly, clearly finding her voice again. "We have to go back there and get them both." She looked toward Stefan and he met her gaze, knowing he was the only person here who felt as strongly as she did about Damon.

_She's right. We have to go. Damon is alive. He's alive. _

"There's no way we can get them both, Elen-" Caroline started.

"We have to go now, Caroline," Elena yelled, panic overwhelming her tone. "We have to go and stop Bonnie from entering the house. We have to save them both." She looked again toward Stefan. "It's Bonnie and Damon," she said, pleadingly.

Stefan looked to Caroline and she nodded at him. They had to try. "Let's go," Stefan said.

And then they were running. Stefan and Elena ran at vampire speed and Caroline and Alaric jogged behind at Jeremy's human pace. They ducked back around houses and up streets until they reached the block they were looking for. The turned down the road and barreled toward the house at the end.

Stefan and Elena slowed down as a dark figure came running in their direction. Stefan squinted in the darkness as a tall muscular figure approached them. His eyes widened as he came to the realization of who it was.

"Damon," Elena breathed.

Stefan sped up faster and collided with him, Damon throwing his arms around his brother in a strong embrace.

"About fucking time, brother," Damon quipped, but his tight grip on Stefan told him how grateful he truly was. Stefan bit back tears of happiness. "Right," he whispered back, "sorry we took so long." He held his brother tightly for a moment longer before releasing him, feeling Elena's intense presence waiting to be back in the arms of the love of her life. He stepped back and let them have their moment as Elena flung her arms around Damon's neck, kissing him passionately. Stefan stared at his brother, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Damon was here, alive and well. His brother was back.

The other three caught up to them and hugs were exchanged. The six reunited friends packed tightly together, excitement and fear palpable in the air.

"Christ, it's good to see all of you. Even you, Vampire Barbie," Damon said with a smile. Caroline laughed too and Stefan placed his hand on her lower back in appreciation for her tolerance of Damon. He appreciated how aware she was of how important this was to him.

"Look, as much as I want to stand here and talk to all of you jackasses and go home right now, Bonnie just saved my life," Damon said. "We have to go get her. I owe her one."

Everyone nodded and turned back toward the block, slowly creeping down the block toward the last house. Stefan tried to focus his thoughts toward Bonnie but his mind was racing. His brother was back and he couldn't have been more excited. Caroline had helped him get his brother. It was his turn to help her get her best friend back.

Two figures came in to focus at the front door as they reached the driveway. The group stopped as they watched the two witches come in to focus. Bonnie and Athea stood side by side, the fear in Bonnie's eyes very apparent.

"Aw how nice," Athea said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "The whole gang showed up."

Elena leaned closer to Damon. "Who the hell is that?"

"My favorite psycho witch," Damon whispered back. Stefan smirked at Damon's stupidly witty remark.

_You even missed his obnoxious retorts._

Athea stepped forward ahead of Bonnie. "My name is Athea. I am the High Priestess of this coven."

"The what?" Jeremy mumbled behind him and Stefan stifled a laugh. This situation was far from funny but this woman seemed to enjoy announcing herself and her title like everyone should know exactly how important she was.

_I can't wait to kill you, you self-involved bitch._

"I'm afraid Bonnie doesn't know the whole story as to why she's here," Athea continued, clearly missing Jeremy's comment. "So I feel it necessary to fill you in entirely so you understand what is about to happen."

The six of them looked around at each other and Stefan felt impending doom upon them. What truth had they missed?

"You see," Athea began. "I knew keeping Bonnie and Damon here all summer would bring you to me. If I just waited long enough, planted all the right seeds, paid off a werewolf pack to pretend they were related to us, that you all would come running. I took a risk with the werewolf pack, hoping you'd be stupid enough to believe werewolves can be related to witches." She smirked as she looked among them. "Obviously, that lie paid off."

_Fuck you,_ Stefan shouted in his head.

"I'd heard all the stories of your loyalties to each other," she continued. "Even though your little group is full of vampires, witches, werewolves and hunters." She cocked her head and smiled wickedly. "How do you make that work, by the way? You all are supposed to be mortal enemies."

No one spoke and she waived her hand. "Actually, truthfully, I don't care." She laughed manically.

"Why did you need all of us?"Stefan called, trying to move the conversation along. He was sure a bomb was about to be dropped and he wanted it to explode sooner rather then later.

Athea smiled. "I didn't. I needed two of you."

Stefan felt the color drain from his face.

_A fucking doppelganger situation. _

Stefan looked toward Elena who was already staring at him. Without speaking, he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Damon mumbled under his breath as he too realized what she was saying.

"Mm, I see you understand," Athea said, pleased. "You see, at first, we thought Bonnie was the key. If we had her, we could complete the coven. We would have the maximum power and rule easily." She grabbed Bonnie by her hair and Bonnie cried out in pain. "But once we had her, she did nothing for us. Nothing! She was just another witch. We didn't need one of those. So we conducted a séance and spoke to our ancestors, seeking answers to our questions. Why had they sent her to us? What were we missing?" She gripped Bonnie's hair tighter and pulled her closer. "And they told us she would be the key to getting what we want. Because she was connected to the two people we needed. The two people we required for the greatest power known to man had proven over and over again that they would do anything for this girl." She turned to Bonnie and pressed her lips to her ear. "Thank you for drawing out the doppelgangers, Bonnie. We really do appreciate it. And now, we don't need you anymore."

Athea shoved Bonnie forward, pushing her down the steps. Bonnie stumbled and Jeremy ran up the walkway to meet her, catching her arm and holding her close. They limped back to the group at the edge of the driveway. Stefan tried to feel at ease that they had Bonnie back but he had a feeling things had only just begun. His mind reeled, trying to process what this woman was saying.

_But why did they keep Damon?_

"Damon was an added bonus," Athea said as she slowly ascended the stairs, like she had just read Stefan's thoughts. "He appeared with Bonnie after the other side fell apart and we figured he may come in handy. Turns out, he was the love of one of the doppelgangers. So I suppose we got lucky there." She glanced around the group as she approached them. "Oh and Bonnie, it wasn't your Grams that sent you to us. We did that all on our own. And thank you again for bringing Damon. I don't know how that worked out but I'm sure glad it did." She smiled villainously.

"So what do you want with us then?" Stefan demanded. "You got us here. Now what?"

Athea smiled. "Well, as we were told by our family from the beyond, we needed the doppelgangers in the same place. We needed you where we could harness the most power within our coven. And that, of course, is here." She raised her arms and Stefan looked around as witches slowly came out of each house on the block, chanting quietly and surrounding them.

"According to legend, we must make a doppelganger sacrifice in order to gain the ultimate power," she continued.

The group tightened as the witches came closer, the chanting getting louder.

"You don't need to kill all of us, Athea," Stefan yelled over the chanting. "Let everyone else go and take just the doppelgangers." Stefan and Elena had gotten out of situations like this before. They could sort this out. If they could separate the group, the others could form a plan and spring into action. He just needed to get them away from here. He needed Caroline safe.

Caroline stepped up to Stefan's side and slid her hand into his. He held onto her tightly. He saw Damon pull Elena closer to him out of the corner of his eye. His heart hurt for his brother. He'd just reunited with Elena. How were they already back in this situation?

"Stefan," Athea scoffed, "don't be so dramatic!" She was upon them now, closing the circle around them with the rest of the coven. "Let me finish explaining the rules. Yes, we will need to make a sacrifice tonight. And yes, it will need to be one of the doppelgangers." Stefan felt Caroline stiffen next to him, squeezing his hand tightly.

Athea leaned in closer. "But here's the kicker," she said with a smile. "You get to pick which one of you dies and which one of you lives."

Stefan gaped at her as he let her words sink in. Either he or Elena had to die. Tonight. He could feel Caroline trembling with fear beside him. He tried to think rationally, focusing on all the things that had happened in the past 24 hours. He ran through the order of events in his mind then looked up.

"Wait," he said slowly. "Why didn't you just kill me when you had me in the basement earlier? That would have saved a lot of time."

Athea laughed wickedly and Stefan cringed at the sound. "Good question, Stefan! You are the smart one of the group, aren't you?" She laughed again. "The power comes from both the living doppelganger and the dead. You both need to be here for the sacrifice so we can draw power from you at the same time!" She was wild now, waving her arms in excitement as though she were talking about a party. She looked around the group of them. "Oh, sorry, the rest of you are just little helpers to get them both here. Actually, come to think of it, I should be thanking all of you! You're the reason this is all happening and we are forever grateful!" Her faced darkened a little as she smiled that evil smile of hers. "And, to be honest, I do love the poetry of all of you being here together to witness this historic event. There's a sort of elegance to it, don't you think?" She laughed again.

Stefan swallowed hard. He looked around the group of his friends he'd brought into this situation. He saw Jeremy holding Bonnie tightly, pressing his lips to her hair, his body rigid in fear. He saw Alaric standing stoically behind Jeremy, like the father figure he was to the young boy. He saw Damon standing behind Elena, gripping her shoulders tightly, seeing in his eyes that he would never let her go again. And then his gaze fell on Caroline, her blue eyes swimming in tears as she stared up at him, her body language saying only one thing: _Please don't leave me._ He pulled her to him, pressing his lips to her temple and closing his eyes. He then released her and stepped forward.

"Okay," he announced, "I choose to sacrifice myself."

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	15. Chapter 15

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

"Oh for fuck's sake," Damon said, walking up in front of Stefan and throwing his hands up in the air as he stared down Athea. "Come on. I'm so sick of all this doppelganger sacrifice bullshit. Can't you get any more creative?"

Athea smirked and threw one hand forward, propelling Damon backward, landing hard on his back. "I know you_ normal_ vampires don't understand," she said in a disgusted tone, "but one of our original ancestors created the curse that brought upon the doppelganger. They are incredibly valuable to us."

Damon sat up on his elbows, coughing as he caught his breath. "Fine," he growled. "We'll just kill you, instead." He scrambled to his feet and attempted to jump forward. A ring of fire lit up around the group, separating Stefan from the rest of them. Another fire ring encircled Stefan.

"NO!" Stefan's heart shattered into a thousand pieces at Caroline's blood-curdling scream. Stefan turned toward her, the orange flickers dancing across her face. Stefan put his hand up as if to stop her from trying to get to him.

"It's okay, Care. Stay where you are," he said, trying to reassure her.

"Yeah, I'd listen to him," Athea said condescendingly. "If you try to jump the flames, the magic in them will disintegrate you to dust."

Stefan reaffirmed his hand, alarmed by Athea's words. "I'm okay," he called to the group. "I got this. Stay there."

"Stefan, please don't do this," Elena called back. "Please."

He had to do this. He had to be one the one to die. He could never live with himself knowing he'd sent Elena to her death. He would never be able to look Damon in the eye again. These people needed Elena. Maybe more then they needed him. He'd already lived a long, full life. She'd barely begun hers. He'd always known it would come to this again. Every time they got out of a doppelganger situation, he knew a greater power would bring them back into another one. He knew one day they'd have to die. He was almost grateful that it didn't have to be both of them.

He had to do this for all of them. He would make this sacrifice for his brother to have eternity with his one true love. He'd let Caroline have her two best friends back, and give her the possibility of a full, happy life. He would do this for them.

Stefan glared at Athea. "Can I have a few minutes to say goodbye at least?"

Athea shrugged her shoulders, feigning sympathy. "Why of course, Stefan. Do say goodbye to your loved ones. But please know you are doing this world a greater good. Your death will not be for nothing." She flicked her wrist and the flames around Stefan cleared a path, connecting with the flames of the other circle encompassing the group. There was still no way out but at least he could touch them now before he died.

"Don't do anything stupid," Athea murmured.

Stefan tried not to gag at her words.

_Do you have to die at this bitch witch's hand? _

Stefan turned toward the group where he was met with looks of bewilderment and hurt. "It's okay," he repeated again, trying to appear strong. "I'm supposed to do this. I couldn't live with myself if I let it be any other way." His eyes landed on Elena. "I refuse to let you and Damon be apart again, Elena. We saw how you were when we thought Damon was dead." He tried to smile. "No offense but you suck without him, and I have no doubt he'd be the same without you."

Elena shook her head. "No. Stefan, I won't let you do this. All this doppelganger stuff is because of me, not you. We would have never known about any of it if it weren't for me." The anger and fear twisted in Elena's expression and Stefan stepped toward her.

"Elena," he whispered. "It's not anyone's fault. It just happened. This curse has been around for a long time. It's okay. I got this."

Elena began to protest again but Damon took her hand in his. "Elena," he said softly. "Let him go. He's made up his mind."

Stefan smiled gratefully at Damon and Elena gripped Damon's hand tighter. Damon nodded in appreciation at his brother, and for a brief moment let the pain flash across his face. Stefan forced himself not to go to him. He knew it would only make it worse. And Damon was never much of a feelings guy anyway. This was his way of saying goodbye to him. This time they got to have real closure and Stefan appreciated that.

He turned to Bonnie and took her in his arms. "Thank you for saving my brother," he murmured to her and she gave him a gentle squeeze.

"We love you, Stefan," she whispered and he released her. He patted Jeremy hard on the shoulder and nodded to him.

"You take care of her," he said and Jeremy gave him a noble nod.

Stefan turned to Alaric and shook his hand. "Thank you for everything, man," Stefan said. "Keep an eye on everyone for me, okay?" He lowered his voice a bit and murmured, "Please take care of Caroline. She's going to need someone."

Alaric nodded and gripped Stefan's hand. "I will," he croaked, tears coming to his eyes.

Stefan looked over at Caroline, his heart aching as he watched her weep, her body shaking with silent heavy sobs. "Caroline," he whispered as he walked toward her. She stared at the ground, trying to compose herself and Stefan took her face in his hands, lifting her gaze to meet his. She cried harder as her blue eyes met his and Stefan bit his cheek doing his best not to show his pain. "You and I," he murmured, his voice cracking ever so slightly as tears stung his eyes. "We were meant to be." Caroline sobbed loudly at his words, her body trembling. Stefan tried to smile but his lips quivered. "Hey, it's alright, Care. We were. We were supposed to love each other. I'm sorry I didn't know that earlier. And I'm so sorry we didn't get a chance to know what it would be like to be together." He kissed her forehead and she slid her hands up his body, clutching his shirt in her tiny grasp. She laid her cheek against his chest.

"Please don't go, Stefan," she whispered. "Please don't leave me."

Stefan smiled through his tears and held her close. "You're going to live an incredible life, Care. You're going to have your friends, your mom and who knows, maybe even another great love in your long life. There are endless possibilities for you." He pulled back slightly and took both of her hands in his. "I've been so deeply, madly in love with you, Caroline, and I am so grateful I got to know that all the months I agonized over it that you felt the same way. Remember that, okay? Never forget how I felt about you." He gently squeezed her hands and she closed her eyes, sobbing again as he walked backward, slowly letting her hands fall from his grasp.

He looked toward the group of his friends again, giving each of them one last glance. Alaric silently shuffled to Caroline's side, wrapping his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close. She turned into him and sobbed into his shirt. Stefan smiled appreciatively at him and then turned back around toward his fate.

"Okay," he said to the awful woman who'd just ruined his life. "I'm ready."

Athea smiled and raised her hands in the air, reforming the two fire circles. "Alright then," she said. "Let us begin."

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	16. Chapter 16

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

The witches chanted loudly as the flames encircling the vampires sizzled. Athea closed her eyes and linked her hands with her family, chanting the loudest and raising her face to the sky.

Caroline gripped Alaric's shirt tightly and turned her face toward his chest. She breathed a couple shallow breaths to make it appear like she was sobbing. She leaned into him, as though she couldn't even manage to stand on her own two feet.

_Sell this. You're inconsolable. You're just another weak, helpless girl. Make those witches believe it._

There was no way in hell she was letting Stefan die without a fight. She wasn't giving up that quickly. Her mind had started working the minute the witches hand had gone up. There had to be a way out. A loophole. Something the witches hadn't thought of. She forced herself to play the broken girlfriend, not that it was difficult when Stefan truly believed he was saying goodbye to her. In the most beautiful way possible, he'd told her, yet again, that he loved her. Did he really believe she would let him go that easily? She absolutely would not. She worked her mind, knowing she was missing something, and being terrified that she couldn't think of it.

And then it had dawned on her.

"Alaric," she murmured so softly she barely heard herself. Alaric wrapped his arm around her as if to console her. He then tapped her shoulder ever so slightly and she knew she had his attention. "You can get through the fire," she continued, still hiding her face in his shirt.

It seemed so obvious now. Alaric was basically an Original vampire. He couldn't die from the fire's magic. Truthfully, it was unclear how Alaric could be killed, if at all. But he could get out of the ring. He was their only shot.

"Oh god, of course," Alaric muttered back, barely moving his lips and Caroline sighed in relief. "How could I not have thought of that?" Alaric's body tensed a bit and he spoke again. "I can't take them all at once. We need Bonnie."

"I got it," Damon's voice floated into Caroline's ear and the hair on the back of her neck stood up, gratitude swelling in her heart that Stefan's brother was listening and trying to find a way to save him. "Glad to see you aren't giving up without a fight, Blondie," Damon murmured and Caroline turned her head further into Alaric's chest to bury her smile.

Caroline let out a guttural sob for good measure, still playing the broken-hearted lover.

"Caroline! Bonnie! You guys I'm so sorry!" Elena sobbed dramatically, turning and reaching for both her friends and Caroline's stomach flipped in anticipation. They were all on the same page. "This is all my fault," Elena cried as the group of friends crowded around each other, pulling together, making it look like they were only comforting each other.

Caroline kept her head bent, her curls covering her face as she feigned despair, but she listened intently, ensuring she wouldn't miss a thing. She felt Alaric leave her side to wrap his arm around Bonnie and Caroline leaned into Elena.

"Bonnie, I can get through the fire. But once I'm out, I won't be able to take them all down before they'll find a way to incapacitate me. We need you," Alaric murmured ever so softly into her hair.

Bonnie nodded minutely in understanding, leaning her head on Alaric's shoulder.

"I don't know if I can do anything," she whispered and Caroline closed her eyes, focusing on Bonnie's quiet voice, her heart sinking. "We need to break the link."

"I can do it," Alaric said. "But once I'm out, I'll need back up."

Bonnie shook her head gently. "I can't make any promises, you guys. These witches are powerful."

"Please," Caroline murmured. "Please you have to try." She knew Bonnie couldn't hear her but she saw a flicker of understanding pass over Alaric's face.

"All we ask," Alaric whispered, "is that you try." Caroline smiled slightly as he reiterated her message.

Bonnie nodded softly into Alaric's shoulder. "We need to wait until the spell is almost full-circle. I'll signal when it's time."

"We'll be ready," Damon murmured. "Let's finish this."

Bonnie fell back into Jeremy's chest and closed her eyes, covering her face and shaking her shoulders.

_Your friends are impressive actors, _Caroline thought, impressed.

Caroline turned to look at Stefan in the other ring and she realized he hadn't heard a word they'd said. He was focused on the witch's spell. Caroline focused even harder on the plan as she realized Stefan truly believed he was about to die.

"How much longer?" Caroline murmured, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. She was getting more anxious. She didn't like not knowing what the spell would look like when it was almost complete. Elena squeezed her hand comfortingly.

The witches began raising their linked hands up above their heads, and as they lifted higher, Caroline heard a sickening crack and shriek from something out of a horror film. Her eyes landed on Stefan, who was contorted backward, in a position no one should ever be in.

"What's happening!" Caroline yelled, tears forming in her eyes as she heard another snap and scream from the other fire circle.

"They have to break every bone in his body," Bonnie yelled back, tears streaming down her face. "They have to weaken him as much as they can before delivering the final blow. The spirits demand he suffer. It's where they draw their power from."

Caroline looked helplessly at Athea, staring daggers into her. The witch's eyes were closed and, God help Caroline, she was smiling in satisfaction.

Caroline stared at Stefan in terror as a roar of agony ripped through his chest, his body crackling loudly. She bit down on her lip hard, trying to force herself not to hear it.

_He will heal. You will save him and he will heal_.

She forced that into her mind over and over, making it her mantra as another tortured screech came from Stefan. He spat blood and gritted his teeth, clearly trying not to give the witches the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain. Another break tore through the air but Stefan managed to suppress a cry as he fell to his knees.

Caroline bit back the tears she knew were begging to flood her eyes. She needed to stay sharp and focused.

_He's going to survive this. You're going to make sure of that._

"Jesus, how much longer, Bonnie?" Damon gritted out as another bone snapped. "He can't take much more of this before he switches off his humanity."

A cold sweat formed on Caroline's forehead at the thought of that. She'd seen ripper Stefan in action. She'd seen him push one of the great loves of his life away. What if he did that to her? What if they saved him and he became a monster? What if he shut off his love for her? The pain of that thought alone shot to her very core.

_He was trapped in a box, drowning for three straight months and kept his humanity on. _

That reminder comforted her for only a moment before another crack and groan brought her back to reality. Stefan was on his hands and knees now, writhing in agony, blood dripping from his mouth. He coughed and weezed, trying to distract himself from the pain. Caroline swallowed a sob as she watched his body waiver, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold himself up much longer.

_Come on, Bonnie, come on. Give the goddamn signal._

And then Stefan looked over for the first time since this started. His eyes landed on Caroline and her body trembled, seeing the anguish, torment and heartbreak in his face. His eyes blazed with the reflection of the fire and he gripped his chest, and Caroline did everything she could not to jump the fire, knowing it would only kill her and not save Stefan. Her eyes shined with fresh tears and she tried to nod at him, doing her best to comfort him in any way she could. He nodded back to her and her whole body ached, wanting nothing more then to go to him, protect and hold him.

"_I love you_," he mouthed to her, his blood stained lips moving only slightly.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, her heart feeling like it was about to explode in her chest.

Stefan fell forward to his shoulder, his cheek hitting the gravel road. He breathed a shuddered breath, gasping for air. Then his other arm cracked backward and his body went slack on the pavement.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****


	17. Chapter 17

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. Thank you thank you for all your reviews, follows and favorites on this story, it's kept me inspired through the process and I really appreciate it!****

The world was absolutely silent as Caroline fell to her knees, watching Stefan lay still on the ground. She could only hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, unable to move or speak, her body immobilized in pain. She wanted to scream or cry but couldn't do either. Her body rocked with unimaginable pain as she stared at the man on the pavement.

_That's it. It's over._

They'd waited too long. She knew it. They'd waited too long and now Stefan was dead.

"NOW!"

From somewhere in the very back of her mind, Caroline heard Bonnie's voice ringing through the air, but she was unable to react. She couldn't take her eyes off Stefan's lifeless body, her heart feeling like it had just been ripped in two.

"Caroline," a muffled voice came from behind her but she barely registered it. "Caroline," it came again, echoing through her head but still she couldn't respond. Her vision narrowed further as she stared at the body of the man she loved.

Suddenly, the voice was in her ear and hands were on her shoulders.

"CAROLINE!" Damon shouted, shaking her violently. "Come on!"

Caroline barely moved, but her body came back into reality. Screaming voices filled her ears and the crackle of the flames around her seemed to snap even louder.

"Stefan," Caroline managed to groan in agony and Damon hooked his arms underneath her shoulders, dragging her backward.

"Caroline, snap out of it," Damon grunted as he pulled her. "The only way we're going to save him is if you get it together. Bonnie is starting her spell. I can't do this without you. We have to save him."

Caroline still felt a haze over her vision as Stefan's body got further and further away from her. "He's dead," she sobbed softly. "He's dead." She couldn't take her eyes off him.

Damon dragged her to her feet and shook her again. He placed his hands on her face and forced her to look at him, tearing her eyes from Stefan. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at Stefan's brother, her heart aching for their loss.

"Caroline," he said desperately, "Caroline you have to snap out of it. He's not dead, okay? He's not dead. Alaric killed the first witch just in time. He's alive, Caroline. We just need to get out of this fire and finish what Alaric started."

Caroline stared at him for a moment, and anger set in. She blinked hard. "Are you blind?" she squeaked and pointed at Stefan. "Does it fucking look like he is alive?"

Damon stared at her for a moment. "Caroline," he said softly, still holding her face. "close your eyes, and listen hard."

She glared at him for a moment longer, and he nodded to her encouragingly. She sighed and did as she was told. She tucked a curl behind her ear and focused on the sounds of her surroundings.

She heard screams and wails of terrified witches. She heard Bonnie mumbling foreign words in the midst of her spell. She heard Alaric's footsteps as he rounded the circle of witches.

And then she heard breathing. Light, shallow, almost inaudible breathing coming from the other circle. She heard the guttural wheezing of a barely live man coming from the one person she cared for most in this world.

"Oh my god," she murmured.

"Told ya," Damon said, bringing her back to the present. "Now get it together. We have some witches to kill."

Caroline stared at him. "We aren't killing them, Damon. We just need to keep them off until we can get to Stefan."

Damon gripped her hand. "Caroline, the only way to do that is to kill them. I'm sorry."

Caroline's eyes widened. "This is Bonnie's family, Damon. Does she know?"

Damon nodded. "She was the one who told us to do it. They held us here for four months just to get our friends and family here to kill them. If we don't kill them, they'll kill Stefan and then us."

Caroline held still for only a moment longer. Damon shrugged his shoulders. "It's the only way to save him, Care. We don't have a choice."

Caroline breathed deep and nodded.

_A massacre to save a Vampire. How fitting._

Damon grabbed a now willingly Caroline's hand and darted toward Bonnie, preparing to exit the ring of fire. Caroline gripped his hand tightly, a renewed sense of hope enveloping her. They still had a chance to save Stefan.

She looked outside of the ring in time to watch Alaric rip a heart from one of the witch's and sped to the next one. Four dead witches with holes in their chests lay behind him.

Caroline felt sick. She looked back toward Bonnie, trying to focus on the next steps of the plan.

Bonnie threw her hands up and spread her fingers, chanting louder.

"We're ready, Bonnie," Damon muttered. "Get us the hell out of here."

Bonnie flipped her hands back and the flames around them turned blue, the crackling dying down. Bonnie drew her hand across the front of her body and the flames slowly contorted, freezing slowly into ice. Caroline watched in amazement.

"Go!" Bonnie yelled.

Damon jumped forward over the ice, bringing Caroline with him. Elena landed behind them and Caroline felt an immense relief of no longer being confined. She looked to Elena and Damon and they made an unspoken agreement. Each of them ran in a different direction.

Caroline dove toward the closest witch she could see, intending to use her blood for Stefan to gain his strength. She reached for her arm and the witch threw a sharp rock into Caroline's chest. Caroline fumbled back slightly and looked up to find the witch smiling, pleased that she'd stopped her for a moment. The witch raised her and closed her eyes, mumbling a spell, but Caroline was quicker. She dug her hand as deep into the witch's chest as she could and ripped her heart out, refusing to look the witch in the eye, allowing her rage to take over. She then threw the witch over her shoulder and darted toward Stefan, who now lay encircled in a ring of ice.

She rolled Stefan onto his back and he groaned softly. She bit down on the wrist of the dead witch and threw the open wound onto Stefan's mouth.

"Drink, Stefan," she murmured.

Stefan's eyes fluttered, his body still lay slack.

"Come on, Stefan," Caroline begged, "please drink. Please."

Stefan groaned quietly, then finally latched on to the wrist over his mouth. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief as he brought his hand up to witch's arm.

"Not so fast," a voice came from behind Caroline and before she could turn around, Caroline was thrown forward, flying over Stefan and landing on her stomach, her face scraping against the cement. She recovered quickly, jumping to her feet and wiping the blood from her face. She spun around.

Athea stood over Stefan, having already pulled the dead witch from his grasp. Athea gripped him by the shirt, pulling him upward to his feet. He groaned and she let go, throwing both her hands up. Stefan rose from the ground in the air as her hands raised and Caroline watched in horror as he gasped for breath and kicked his feet, clearly having his airway cut off by this vicious witch.

"Stefan!" Caroline cried. She looked around frantically to find her friends, who all seemed to be occupied with taking out witches. She turned back to Stefan and took off toward him, but immediately slammed into an invisible wall. She looked up and locked eyes with Athea, who had a wicked smile plastered across her face.

"Nice try," Athea growled. "But there is no way I'm letting all this power go."

She twisted her fingers and Stefan's body contorted in mid-air. Another sickening crack ripped through the air as Athea began the torture process again.

"Stop! Please!" Caroline begged.

Athea laughed and flicked her fingers back again, snapping another bone in Stefan's body.

"Why do you even want this power?" Caroline cried. "Your entire coven is dead or dying!"

Athea's smile grew. "I don't need a coven now. They're of no use to me. We were all going to try to kill each other anyway once we were able to access this power. All I needed was the two doppelgangers. And now I can become the most powerful witch on this planet."

"But wha-" Caroline started to yell but the froze.

_The two doppelgangers. Of course._

Athea had said it before. They needed them in the same place, one to be alive and one to be sacrificed. What if they were no longer in the same place?

"Elena!" Caroline cried, searching desperately in the sea of bodies. Her eyes fell on her friend, who looked up from a witch's body she was standing over. "Elena! RUN!"

Athea snapped her head toward Caroline, the smile gone from her face, her eyes widening. "What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

"They need you here! GO!" Caroline cried, and Elena straightened up, suddenly understanding. She looked toward Damon, who'd caught the conversation and he nodded to her.

"Run," he said softly, and Elena turned and took off at Vampire speed.

"NO!" Athea screamed, dropping Stefan back to the ground and looking for any backup she may have left. Her eyes swept across the scene, eyeing every dead witch that lay before her. Stefan lay unconscious on the ground.

Damon came to Caroline's side, followed by Alaric. Caroline glanced behind her to see Jeremy and Bonnie standing close behind her. The five of them stared down the witch, who was now alone in a mission she could not complete.

Athea glared at the group before her, but her look was faltering as she realized she had no more cards to play.

"Do you realize what you've done?" She murmured. "I could have had everything." Her eyes darkened. "I could have it all."

She threw her hands up as if to throw a spell their way but Caroline felt nothing. She looked to her friends who seemed fine. She looked back toward Bonnie who had her hand up in a stop motion and realized she'd blocked whatever pain Athea had tried to send.

Caroline smiled at her and looked back to Athea triumphantly, who now looked bewildered, realizing her powers were weakening.

"Jigs up sweatheart," Damon said thickly, his famous smirk creeping across his face. He then took off toward her at Vampire speed and shoved his hand in her chest. "Bye-bye, you fucking bitch."

And with that, he tore her heart from her body.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. This is NOT the end of the story my friends, don't worry! Thank you thank you for all your reviews, follows and favorites on this story, it's kept me inspired through the process and I really appreciate it! Steroline goodness coming SO SOON!****


	18. Chapter 18

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Stefan's eyelids felt heavy as he came to. He blinked slowly, trying to hold his eyes open and take in his surroundings. Everything looked fuzzy and unfocused and his eyes threatened to close again every time he blinked.

His head pounded like his brain was trying to break its way out of his head. His neck ached with the smallest movement and he winced at the pain. He tried to stretch his body but his limbs were aching and heavy and he stopped trying after a moment. He let his heavy eyelids fall closed again.

He breathed deep and tried to determine where he was by the rest of his senses. He smelled new leather, and his body lay across something firm with a bit of a cushion. He could feel that he was moving, his body shaking ever so slightly. His head was propped up by something warm and soft. His brain finally registered properly. He was lying in someone's lap, inside of a car that was moving to an unknown location.

His mind tried to race to a conclusion as he tried to determine who he was with and where he was going. What happened with the witches? Where were his friends? His brother? Caroline?

"Caroline," he murmured, his mind panicking but his body unresponsive. "Care..." he tried to repeat himself but he trailed off, the effort to speak becoming too much. He felt a hand brush over his cheek and he swore he recognized the scent.

_Caroline._

He felt helpless as his body begged him to fall back under, and his lip trembled in frustration. It took only seconds for him to pass out again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stefan shot straight up as he woke again, the panic from earlier still coursing through him. He blinked rapidly, his heart pounding with fear. He breathed hard as he whipped his head from side to side, focusing his vision.

He froze as his surroundings came in to view.

He was in his room in his house. He clenched his fingers and felt his soft silk sheets under his touch. He was tucked into his bed as though he'd done it himself. He looked down to find he was dressed in a white t-shirt and sweatpants. How had he gotten here? Who brought him here? Was everyone else here? Where was Damon?

_Where the fuck is Caroline?_

That thought brought a lump to Stefan's throat. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the last thing that happened. He remembered the witches. He remembered the fire. He remembered seeing the pain in Caroline's eyes as another bone cracked in his body and he shook at the memory. The torture was bad. But watching Caroline's face as he lay dying? That was unbearable.

And then Stefan shivered as an alarming thought crossed his mind. Did all of that really happen? Was Damon truly alive? Did Caroline really tell him she loved him? It could have all been a dream. It could have all been in his head. They hadn't saved Damon. Caroline didn't love him. It was all a dream.

Tears came to his eyes, the pain too great to deal with. He threw the comforter back over himself and rolled over, his arm hitting the nightstand. His hand landed on something cold and squishy and he looked up to find a blood bag in his grasp.

He frowned and pulled it to him, finding a yellow sticky note taped to the top.

**We're alive. We made it home. Come see us when you wake up.**

**XO-Care & Damon**

Stefan brought the note to his chest and warmth spread through his body.

_It's like they knew exactly what you needed to hear. _

He closed his eyes for just a moment and let himself believe everything he'd ever wanted was true. He let happy tears roll down his cheeks and took the time to enjoy it. He looked up at his door, realizing his happy ending was only steps away and he smiled for the first time in what felt like forever.

He gulped down the blood quickly and then wandered out of his room, down the stairs and to the main room.

He could feel his heart swell as he took in the scene before him.

Elena sat on the arm of his chair, laughing with Jeremy, who had Bonnie perched on his lap. Alaric sat across from them on the couch, relaxing with a glass in his hand. Damon stood next to the fire, a dopey smile plastered across his face as he watched Elena, nursing a bottle of scotch.

Stefan's eyes welled up again as the group turned to look at him, hooting and hollering with excitement as they greeted him. Damon barreled toward him first.

"Ah, the prodigal son returns from the dead," Damon said as he approached him and without hesitation Stefan stepped forward and embraced him in a tight hug.

"You're here," Stefan murmured, tears streaming down his face. "You're really here."

Damon squeezed him tighter. "I'm here, brother. I'm back."

Stefan gripped his brother and his trembling lips broke into a smile as the rest of the group surrounded them. He released Damon and tried to laugh, feeling silly for being so emotional in front of everyone but found most of his friends with tears in their eyes as well. Elena beamed at Stefan as Damon took her hand, and Alaric slapped him on the back excitedly.

"Sorry," Stefan murmured, smiling and wiping his cheeks.

"We know you're a big softy, Stef, don't worry," Damon joked and Stefan laughed.

"How long have I been out?" Stefan asked, suddenly realizing everyone looked more refreshed then they should have after a long few days.

"You've been going in and out of sleep for about three days," Alaric said. Stefan's eyes widened.

"Three days?!" he exclaimed.

_You're a goddamn vampire. Why did it take three days for you to wake up? _

"Yeah, we don't have an explanation for that," Damon said. "We didn't have any blood left in the car on the way home, and then once we got here we couldn't get you to drink any. But you mumbled on occasion so we knew you were alive. Caroline started an IV when we got back, but it still took you a good long while to wake up. That witch did a number on you."

_Caroline._

"Where is she?" Stefan said almost panicked. He barely noticed the group eyeing each other and smiling knowingly.

"Uhh, Caroline will be home soon," Damon said slowly. "And we're actually going to head out to dinner. We still have two humans in our group that have to eat real food, so we're going to go."

Stefan caught Elena smiling mischievously and eyed her for a moment.

"Okay…" Stefan said slowly. "Should we wait for Caroline?"

"Oh, sorry, you're actually not coming," Damon said, smirking.

Stefan raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Yeah, you're not invited," Damon said. "But the rest of us are going to go…And we probably won't be back for a couple days."

Stefan frowned and looked around the group, all of whom were grinning at him. "What is going on?"

"Listen, Stefan, you're the man of the hour. You saved every single one of us. It's been three days and we finally determined a way to thank you. We've all had our reunions," Damon said looking back at Elena briefly. "So we agreed we owed you one."

Bonnie stepped up and kissed Stefan on the cheek, squeezing his hand. "Thank you," she whispered. Jeremy trailed behind her, their hands clasped together. He nodded at Stefan as they passed him on the way to the front door.

Alaric spun him around and brought him in for a big bear hug. "You're one brave son of a bitch my friend," Alaric murmured. He let him go and gripped his shoulder tightly before turning and heading out behind Bonnie and Jeremy.

Stefan turned back around and Elena wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for trying to protect me. And I don't think I'll ever find the words that say how truly grateful I am that you brought Damon back." She let go and looked up at him appreciatively. "Oh and I would recommend you take a shower before she gets here. Just a thought." Elena smirked and side-stepped him, walking toward the door.

Stefan turned to watch her leave and then looked back at Damon curiously. Damon was almost laughing, pursing his lips hard to make sure he didn't make a sound.

"Seriously? Why is everyone bailing?" Stefan said, even though he was sure he knew.

"Stefan," Damon said in his famous sarcastic tone. "It's been three days. We've all had our reunions. Over and over and over again." He winked and Stefan chuckled at his disgusting innuendo. "It's your turn. We were all there the night the witches tried to murder you. We heard everything you said to Caroline. It was mushy and gushy and adorably Stefan-esque. We loved every minute of it."

Stefan's cheeks burned, wishing more then anything that moment could have been private. Damon actually laughed out loud.

"Oh stop it with the embarrassed look. We've all been rooting for you two for years!" He smiled broadly and Stefan couldn't help but smile back. "Honestly, Stefan, I'm really glad you're happy. We all have places to stay for a few days, so you and Caroline can have a little alone time. Elena and I are heading up to the cabin, Bonnie and Jeremy are heading back to her house and I believe Alaric has a new girl he's been seeing. So we're good." Damon looked down at Stefan's clothing and then back up. "I would take Elena's advice about the shower, though." He patted him on the shoulder and walked toward the door.

"Thank you, Damon," Stefan said as he watched him reach for the handle. Damon turned back to him.

"She took care of you while I was gone. She brought you back to life these past few days." Damon smirked again. "She's the one."

Stefan looked down, trying not to grin to hard. "I know," he murmured.

He nodded at his brother and Damon disappeared through the door.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. Thank you thank you for all your reviews, follows and favorites on this story, it's been so great! Again, this is not the end of the story! The wait for Steroline goodness is almost over!****


	19. Chapter 19

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Stefan stared at the door for a long moment, taking the time to enjoy this. Everything he had ever wanted was happening and he wanted to remember how happy he was in this moment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of the Salvatore mansion and smiled, knowing he was home, his friends were safe and Caroline was on her way to him.

Then the overwhelming anticipation set in and a shiver ran down his spine.

He turned and hurried up the stairs, deciding he should take Elena and Damon's advice and smirked as he remembered their knowing smiles and suggestive arched eyebrows. He shook his head, trying to move passed embarrassment and onto appreciation. They had given him a few days to spend much needed alone time with the girl he loved and for that he was grateful.

He flipped on the shower as he entered his bathroom, divesting himself of his clothing and closing his eyes under the warm water. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair as the water soaked into his skin. He tried to relax but his body was humming. He needed to lay eyes on Caroline. He needed to touch her, feel her. He needed to know she was alive and safe and healthy. He had no idea when she'd be back and the wait was already killing him.

He reached for the soap as he tried to steer his thoughts elsewhere, away from Caroline and her beautiful slim body and her gorgeous blonde hair and those lips he couldn't wait to touch…

_Stop it. She'll be here soon. You've waited four months for this, another few hours won't kill you._

Suddenly, Stefan felt incredibly nervous. There had been so much leading up to this, and now it was actually about to happen. What if it wasn't everything he'd hoped it would be? What if he couldn't satisfy her the way he wanted to? What if they weren't as perfect together as he always dreamt they'd be? Stefan scrubbed the soap across his body harder, trying to rid those thoughts from his mind.

_Please get here soon, Care._

Stefan shut off the water and dried himself off, strolling over to his dresser. He picked out a casual outfit to wear, jeans and a button down.

_Why even wear any clothes?_

He let that dirty thought pass through his mind but shook it off almost immediately. He wanted to take care of her, to make love to her. He wanted to show her how important she was to him. She wasn't just another girl and this wasn't just about sex.

His heart thrummed as he pulled on his clothes, smoothing out wrinkles and running his hands through his hair. He felt almost silly, preparing himself for a date like a teenage boy about to have sex for the first time.

_But this is important. This is Caroline._

He clenched and unclenched his fists as her name passed through his mind again. He needed to touch her so badly, run his fingers through her hair and look into her beautiful blue eyes. He needed to know she was safe. Now.

He looked around his room to make sure everything was clean and perfect. He took one more stroll through his bathroom and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked properly coiffed and clean. He nodded confidently at himself and headed for the door, deciding he should go downstairs and wait.

He swung open his bedroom door and there stood the one person he had been aching to see for hours. He stared stupidly at her, his gaze catching her blue eyes and her mouth spread into a wide grin. He could feel himself grinning back and neither of them said a word.

Then Stefan's hands flew to her like a magnet. He brought his hands up to her face, running his thumbs along her cheekbones. Caroline brought her hands to his biceps and help on tightly, her breath hitching in her throat as Stefan continued his ministrations over her. He threaded his fingers in her hair, running them through her thick blonde curls and down to her neck, as though he couldn't keep himself from touching her. Truthfully, he was afraid if he let go of her she'd disappear and he'd never get her back. He wasn't willing to take that chance.

Caroline closed her eyes as she let him run his hands over her. She knew what he was doing. He needed to know she was alive, that she was okay. She understood. She'd had the same feeling for days.

He traced his hands along her collarbone and down her shoulders. She tilted her head slightly to the side, reveling in him touching her in such an intimate way. He watched his fingers trail down her arms and took her hands in his, twining their fingers together. Caroline opened her eyes to meet Stefan's.

"Hi," he said breathily, his hands clutching hers tighter.

"Hi," she said back quietly, anticipation fueling her body.

"You're okay," Stefan choked, his lip trembling slightly.

"So are you," Caroline said back, her voice shaking slightly. She bit her lip.

He smiled and turned back toward his room. Her heart raced as he tugged her along. He pulled her toward his bed, and sat her down, standing above her and cradling her face in his hands. He tucked a curl behind her ear as he gazed at her and Caroline felt goose bumps run along her neck as she stared up into his heated gaze. No one had ever looked at her the way he was now, like she was the only thing in this world that mattered. It was incredibly romantic. And incredibly sexy.

He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, gazing over every feature on her soft skin.

"God, you're incredible," Stefan murmured and he brushed his lips ever so softly over hers. She breathed heatedly under his touch and he gently kissed her again, letting his lips linger over hers. She reached up and dug her fingers into his shoulders.

"I've wanted this for so long," Caroline muttered as Stefan placed a soft kiss on her cheek and another along her neck. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, wanting more then anything to pull him down to her but held herself back. She didn't want to rush this. She wanted to experience every touch he laid on her body.

Stefan placed dry, soft kisses along her neck, breathing heatedly along her jaw as he came back up to her lips. He tilted her head back and placed his lips on hers again. He slid his tongue out and swiped it across her bottom lip, and Caroline moaned quietly. He coaxed her mouth open and snuck his tongue into her mouth, stroking against her tongue gently and smoothly. She lost herself, letting him take her over entirely as he drew her bottom lip into his mouth and bit down gently.

She squirmed and her fingers flew to the buttons of his shirt, flicking them open one by one. She pushed his shirt down his shoulders and splayed her hands over his bare chest. Stefan shuddered against her touch, his breath catching ever so slightly in her mouth before he continued, deepening his kiss as she touched his naked chest. He ran his hands through her hair, securing her to him as he gripped the base of her neck. She groaned at his touch and he reached for the hem of her shirt.

"Caroline," he groaned, pulling back slightly and opening his eyes to find her eyes still closed, her lips reddened and plump from his kisses and her cheeks rosy. She nodded silently.

"Yes," she murmured, and Stefan dragged her top over her head, watching her gasp as the cool air hit her unclothed body. Stefan didn't hide his stare as he gazed over her perfect body, her slim hips and perky breasts held up by a bright pink bra. He traced his fingers over her collarbone and down to her cleavage, drawing his touch down the line of her abdomen to her naval. He cupped her cheek with his other hand and planted a wet kiss on her neck as he slowly unbuttoned her jeans. He pulled her up to her feet, her eyes still closed and he dragged her jeans down her legs, her hands on his shoulders for support. His eyes landed on her matching pink panties and he groaned, his lips connecting with her naval just above her panty line. Caroline murmured something incoherent above him and he smirked, straightening back up and running his hands down her bare back. Her mouth fell open at his touch and she reached for his waistline, dragging the button of his jeans open and tugging them down. They pooled around his ankles and he stepped out of them, standing only in his boxers.

He reached for her and pulled her tight, his lips crushing against hers again, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They pulled against each other, trying to get as close as possible as they explored each other's almost naked bodies.

"Caroline," Stefan moaned as he dragged his lips along her jaw line. "I am so madly, incredibly, unequivocally, unabashedly in love with you, Caroline."

He felt Caroline shiver against him, pressing herself harder to him. "Stefan," was all she could manage. Stefan pulled back gently and took her face in his hands, searching her features as she tried to form a coherent sentence. She breathed deeply, trying to focus her thoughts against his touch.

"Tell me," Stefan murmured over her lips and she quivered.

"Stefan," she said again, staring up into his soft gaze. He nodded at her, smiling gently and supportively.

"It's okay, doll," he whispered, kissing her softly. "Just tell me. Before I do all of the things I want to do to you, I just need to hear it."

"I-" she started, then stopped, her hands shaking against his chest. She bit her lip, and forced herself to focus. She wanted to say everything she'd been thinking for months and suddenly it was coming out in a rush. "Stefan, I, I love you. I love you so damn much. I thought you were going to die yesterday and now here you and here we are and I just- I love you, I've loved you for a very long time, and I never thought I'd get to know you like this. I'm so just in love you. I love you." Her cheeks flushed and she looked down, laughing a bit. "I wish I had a more eloquent way of saying it, but I don't."

She looked up, still smiling, thinking she'd meet a similar light-hearted look from Stefan but when she caught his gaze, she felt the heat pool in her abdomen all over again. His dark, wanting eyes pierced her to her core and he growled low in his chest. Her body vibrated under his look, loving that even in her inarticulate explanation of loving him, he still wanted her.

"Christ, Care," he groaned, and with one quick, swift motion, he lifted her off her feet and laid her down on the bed gently. "I love you. God help me, I love you." He ghosted his hands over her body.

"Make love to me," she murmured and Stefan lost control entirely.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. I promise severe Steroline smut next chapter! You guys have been AMAZINGLY supportive and I so appreciate it! You're the reason I keep writing! Stay tuned and THANK YOU!****


	20. Chapter 20

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it.****

Stefan pressed Caroline into the mattress as he urgently pressed his lips to hers. Their kisses were more frantic now, wanting and needing each other desperately. Caroline groaned underneath him, her arms twining in his hair and pulling him to her, growling and biting at his lip.

"Stefan," she muttered seductively, wanting nothing more then to feel his naked flesh against hers.

Stefan moaned in surrender and brought his hand to her hip, dragging her panties down her thighs. Caroline lifted her hips and wriggled out of them fully and Stefan threw them to the side.

Caroline hooked her fingers in the waistband of his boxers but before she could remove them she felt Stefan running his hand along her inner-thigh and she bit her lip. He brushed his fingers over her outer folds and she gasped, snapping her hips up and pressing her knees against Stefan's hips. He smiled against her lips and slowly slid one finger inside of her.

"Oh god, Stefan," Caroline moaned, arching into his touch and throwing her head back. Stefan ran his tongue along her exposed collarbone as she writhed beneath him, working another finger into her.

"Jesus, I love the way you react to my touch, Caroline," Stefan breathed against her neck and she gripped his biceps, losing herself under him. He worked her body, brushing his thumb over her sensitive bundle of nerves and pressing deep into her. She cried out, her eyes closed tightly as the sensation rippled through her body.

"Look at me," Stefan murmured, needing to see her wanting eyes. She lifted her eyelids and groaned under his wanting gaze.

"God, Stefan, please," she moaned and tugged at his boxers. She wanted him inside of her. She wanted them to be one.

Stefan kissed down her neck to her chest and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up gently and flicking the clasp of her bra open. He let it fall down her shoulders and laid her gently back down, his eyes darkening at the sight of an entirely naked Caroline underneath him. She blushed at his intense stare and tried reaching for his boxers again but he was quicker, yanking them down quickly and kicking them off.

Caroline bit her lip as she watched him settle himself between her legs and she brought her knees up, spreading herself open to him in a silent plea.

Stefan looked up to find Caroline's blue eyes staring back at him, her eyelids hanging low with lust and need. She nodded hurriedly, reaching for his hips and pulling him over her, pressing the tip of him to her opening. She gasped at the sensation and Stefan cupped her cheek with his free hand, putting all his weight on his other elbow. He wanted to watch her as they finally consummated their relationship.

"Yes," Caroline hissed as Stefan pushed into her slowly. She tried to keep her eyes open but her vision was blurring. She saw stars as Stefan thrust into her again, filling her deeply and fully.

Caroline cried out as he rolled his hips into hers again and again, his speed changing from slow to fast, back to slow and driving her mad. She gripped her fingers against his biceps as waves of pleasure crashed through her body.

Stefan couldn't take his eyes off her. She was perfect as he watched her mouth fall open, her cheeks flush and her eyes close. He brushed her hair to the side of her face and pressed deeper into her, watching as she arched her back and let out another moan. She was incredible, her body responding to his every touch and he could feel himself teetering on the edge. He willed his body to relax as he continued his thrusts, never wanting this moment to end. He felt Caroline dig her fingers into his arms and he knew she was close.

"Christ, Care," he murmured and she opened her eyes to see Stefan pressing his lips together tightly as he watched her squirm underneath him. "Look at you. Do you have any idea how sexy you are?"

Caroline shuddered underneath him and cried out as he felt her clench around him. "Oh god, oh my god, yes, Stefan, I'm, I'm going to-" Caroline cried, snapping her hips harder against him.

"That's it, Care, there you go. Come, doll. Come for me. I love you, Care, come on," Stefan whispered encouragingly and Caroline's mouth fell open in a silent "oh" as Stefan felt her pulse around him. She shook and gripped him tighter, riding out every single moment of her orgasm. Stefan lay gentle kisses along her neck and cheek, not wanting to miss a single moment of her satisfaction.

"God, Stefan," was all she could manage, her body going slack underneath him. Stefan smirked and rolled over, pulling Caroline over him and settling her knees on either side of his hips. She gasped and opened her eyes lazily, her body still recovering.

"We're not done yet, my beautiful girl," Stefan said with a smirk and jerked his hips up quickly, then dropped them back down, bouncing Caroline above him.

"Stefan!" she cried out in surprise, closing her eyes and grabbed both his hands tightly for support. Her body vibrated at his movements and Stefan watched her carefully, wanting to make sure she was okay.

Caroline kept her eyes closed but her hips rolled ever so slightly against him and he knew she wanted more. He thrust slowly up into her again and dropped his hips back down, watching as she threw her head back and panted, the sensation overwhelming her.

"Stefan, god, oh god, yes," she mumbled, riding against him as he threw his hips up again and again. "God you know how to make me feel so good, god you just know," she murmured, still gripping his hands, rolling her hips and purring with gratitude.

"I want you to feel as good as you deserve," Stefan panted, his body slowly convulsing as he plummeted toward his release. "I want to make you lose control." He bit out the last words as he felt himself falling overboard, his body pumping upward toward his goal.

"Yes, god, yes please, Stefan, don't stop, please come. Please god, come," Caroline begged, her eyes opening slightly as she watched him snap his hips up frantically, meeting her begging center again and again. "Yes, right there, Stefan, right there."

Stefan was lost now, bucking against her harder and harder, her body begging him for it and his body giving it to her. "Caroline," he groaned and pulled her hands down, pinning them on either side of his head.

"I love you," she cried, her body convulsing now, her hips quickening their pace. "I love you Stefan."

That was all he needed. He peaked, his body writhing up to meet hers, never closing his eyes as he watched her tumble right over the edge with him. "Oh yes, Care," he groaned, throwing himself against her only a few more times as he felt her tightness slowly release its grasp against him.

Caroline breathed heavily as she hovered above him, her body still arched in ecstasy as she slowly came down from her high. Stefan watched her above him, loving every emotion that ran across her face. She hummed in satisfaction then slowly collapsed against his slick chest, both of them panting in relief.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Stefan growled and Caroline smirked against his chest.

"I think I have some idea," she retorted, chuckling as he lifted her hips and slipped out of her, laying her gently next to him and tucking her against his side.

"God, I do love you, Care," Stefan murmured, kissing her forehead and Caroline smiled. "I don't think I'll ever stop wanting to tell you that."

"I don't think I'll ever want you to stop," Caroline said, pressing a kiss to his side and snuggling deeper against him.

Stefan smiled wildly at the ceiling, tugging her gently closer to him. He tried not to think about the last few days but when his body tensed at the thought, Caroline didn't miss it.

"What is it?" she asked innocently, still cuddled against him tightly. Stefan pressed his cheek to the top of her head.

"Caroline," Stefan murmured. "You are... you are truly my everything. When I thought I was going to die, the only thing on my mind... the only thing I cared about was you. I don't mean to be so sentimental but I can't imagine my world without you in it. You are the only thing that keeps me going, day in and day out. You are the absolute love of my life. I hope I never have to live a moment with you, Care. Truly."

Caroline's heart swelled as she listened, Stefan calmly stroking her hair as he spoke. She held on to him tighter, biting back tears as his words overwhelmed her.

"Stefan," she murmured. "I... I want nothing more then to spend the remainder of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you and go to sleep beside you. I never want to be without you. Ever." She curled her fingers against his chest, her breath catching as she felt the weight of her own words. She felt like she'd just spilled her guts but she didn't care. She needed him to know.

"Caroline," Stefan whispered, pressing a kiss in her hair. "My Caroline."

Caroline smiled against his bare skin, nuzzling her nose to him.

"You know, we have this house to ourselves for a few days," Stefan murmured.

Caroline smirked broadly against him. "Well, then. Show me what else you got, Mr. Salvatore."

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters within it. I still don't think this will be my last chapter… Steroline smut is what I live for! THANK YOU for all your support, you guys have been INCREDIBLE! I read every review and take into account every suggestion. You have been amazing. I so appreciate all of you!****


	21. Chapter 21

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or the characters within it.****

The grin plastered on Stefan's face made his cheeks ache as he stared down at the beautiful vampire girl sprawled across him. He'd been awake for over an hour, twirling Caroline's hair in his fingers as she lay coiled around him, her arm slung around his waist and her cheek pressed to his chest. She breathed deeply and contently and Stefan couldn't have been more thrilled. He beamed at her, listening to every little noise she made and every breath she took.

He trickled his fingers softly down her naked spine, running his gaze up and down her body and landing on where the sheets pooled around her waist. He openly stared, reveling in the fact that he no longer had to steal glances of this gorgeous girl.

_She's yours. Finally. _

He smiled even wider at the thought and sighed happily. All these months he'd been brooding, suffering and silently pining away for this girl and now here she lay against him, sleeping very soundly and very nakedly after a full night of satisfaction he delivered to her.

She'd been even more spectacular then he dreamed. His eyelids hung low with lust as he remembered.

He watched her back rise and fall and let the memories of the night before flash in his mind. His fingers trembled a bit as he ran them over her soft skin, remembering how she responded to his touch, how her body arched against his and her fingers gripping him tightly. He shivered at the thought and was tempted to wake her up and fulfill another fantasy of his but decided he'd kept her up all night already and it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

But it took effort to restrain himself. Extreme effort.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She'd tried to get up several times throughout the night. The first time, a few hours after they'd drifted off to sleep, she woke naked and curled around Stefan. She'd blushed hard and rolled over to the edge of the bed, intending on grabbing a shirt or panties of some sort, when she'd found herself pinned to the mattress, Stefan looming over her.

"And where do you think you're going?" Stefan had asked, smiling wickedly. Caroline had giggled, which promptly turned into a moan as Stefan licked her collarbone.

The second time she woke, she felt the familiar burn in the back of her throat and did her best to move silently out of the bed to get some blood bags for them. She thought she'd been ready for Stefan's sneak attack but she gasped when she realized two hands were gripping her hips, pulling her up to support herself on her hands and knees. She'd felt a bit embarrassed at this unexpected position but when Stefan's lips connected with her spine, she realized she didn't care as she arched her back, making an obscene wanton sound. She didn't care about that either.

She now lay awake, eyes still closed, enjoying every gentle touch Stefan lay on her body. She felt thoroughly worshiped as he ran his fingers softly along her back and brushed her hair away from her face. Her body still tingled from the night before and she didn't want that to go away. It reminded her that the boy she was head over heels for was in love with her. She was loved by Stefan Salvatore. Her body shook in delight.

"Good morning doll," Stefan murmured, planting a soft kiss underneath her earlobe. She sighed and smiled.

"Hi," she replied meekly, stretching her arms up and turning to face her lover. His eyes glimmered back at her and she dragged herself up to him, brushing her lips over his. His hand immediately came to her cheek, his thumb stroking over her jaw. He made a sound that couldn't be anything other then a growl and Caroline's body trembled in response, smiling as she surrendered to him completely.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, can we be cheesy for a moment?" Caroline grinned as she lay back against Stefan's chest, her body still trying to calm itself from her most recent orgasm.

Stefan's arm was slung over her chest, his hand sprawled across her heart in a possessive manor that Caroline coveted. She was his and she was happy to be reminded of that at any time.

Stefan chuckled behind her, running his free hand through her hair. "Doll, we can be as cheesy as you'd like us to be."

Caroline bit her lip. "When did you know?"

"When did I know what?" Stefan asked casually, taking a piece of her hair and twisting it in his fingers.

Caroline paused, feeling a bit silly but still dying to know. "When did you know you were… into me I guess?"

She felt Stefan shake with a small laugh and she turned to look at him. "Why is that funny?"

Stefan grinned back at her. "I'm sorry, into you? Caroline, I'm madly in love with you. Do you want to know when I realized I wanted to fuck you or when I realized I was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with you?"

Caroline dropped her head back to his chest, biting her lip. Her pulse still raced every time he told her he loved her. She hoped that would never get old.

"Both, I guess," she said, not meeting his eyes.

Stefan sighed contently and looked up at the ceiling, contemplating his answer. "Hm," he said, stroking his fingers through her hair. "Well the first time I wanted to take you to bed and do unspeakable things to you was… the night of the travelers."

Caroline bit her lip harder, knowing exactly what he was talking about. They had curled up in that van, not knowing if they were going to make it to the next morning and she'd woken to her body pressed tightly to Stefan's, her heart racing at their closeness.

"You were so warm, and your beautiful hair was cascading down my shoulder," Stefan continued. "It was electric being that close to you, holding you so tightly. I found myself wondering what I could do to you if we were alone in my room. I found myself wondering what was underneath that thick coat you had on."

She turned her head toward his chest, trying to hide the overwhelming happiness plastered all over her face. Stefan dipped his fingers under her chin and turned her face toward him. "What?" He asked, curiosity dancing in his eyes.

Caroline smiled harder when she met his gaze. "Nothing it's just… me too. I had similar thoughts at that time."

Stefan threw his head back dramatically. "Are you kidding me? I could have had you naked and writhing in minutes at that moment and I had no idea? Ugh, that's terribly unfair."

Caroline laughed out loud and laid her cheek back against his chest. "We should have started this a long time ago, clearly."

"Clearly," Stefan concurred.

"Mmk, and what about the loving me part?"

Stefan glanced down at her and then back up at the ceiling.

"Well," he started, "the first time I knew I was done for was the third night you stayed here."

Caroline frowned. The first month they were here Elena was a mess, drowning in tears every night. Caroline would hold her tightly in her arms, rocking her back and forth, trying to soothe her.

"Really?" she asked skeptically, looking up to meet Stefan's eyes. "That's when you knew you had feelings for me?"

Stefan smiled wide and ran his thumb over her cheek. "Feelings? No, Care. That's when I knew I was in love with you. The way you held Elena so tightly, like she'd break if you let her go. The way you stayed up with her, comforting her, knowing you needed to help her survive this awful tragedy. That girl that protected her friend so fiercely made me weak in the knees. After that, it escalated quickly. Our late night conversations, our joint effort in helping Elena. It only drew me to you further."

Stefan took her face in his hands. "You rapidly became my everything, doll. You became my whole world."

Caroline blinked hard, trying not to let herself cry, but she saw the tears forming in Stefan's eyes and her lip trembled in gratitude. She gripped his arms, his hands still on her face. She let out a small laugh.

"God, we cannot date, Stefan. We're both far too emotional," she said, wiping tears from her eyes and still grinning.

Stefan laughed. "We are terribly emotional, you're right." He rolled Caroline on to her back and pressed a kiss to her throat. She gasped and threaded her fingers in his hair, breathing heavily. "But I find that emotion only makes things more… intense."

Caroline smirked, letting Stefan kiss her collarbone and her chest. "Is that right?" She asked. She felt Stefan smile against her skin.

"Oh yes," he pressed another kiss to her body. "And by intense I mean explosive."

Caroline physically shook at the implication and forgot what the conversation was entirely as Stefan's lips connected with her nipple.

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or the characters within it.****


	22. Chapter 22

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or the characters within it.****

Stefan kissed Caroline's bare shoulder as her naked body shuddered, trying to calm itself from their most recent encounter.

"That," he breathed into her ear, "was incredible."

Caroline shivered again underneath this beautiful man, her body responding to his words when her mind was unable to. She tried to breath evenly but seemed to stumble as Stefan's fingers trail over her hips, his front pressed soundly to her back.

"Care?" he whispered tenderly.

Caroline tried to laugh but it came out more as a stuttered gasp. "Amazing," she breathed, trying to gain some sort of coherence back.

Stefan chuckled, trailing kisses down her backside, smiling as he goes. He tipped her hips to the side and fell behind her, wrapping his arms around her body from behind her. She fell willingly, snuggling back closely to her love as he slipped out of her and held her close against him.

"You are better then I could have dreamed," Stefan murmured against her back, his breath hot against her skin. His arms tighten around her body.

Caroline pressed back and smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, Salvatore," she grinned, closing her eyes as Stefan nuzzled her neck.

"Caroline," Stefan murmured, his breath heating against her ear and she tried to stifle her giggle, knowing what they just finished doing. He couldn't possibly go again with her, could he? Her body vibrated with possibility.

"Care, Jesus, I do love you madly," he muttered, his lips pressed firmly to her hairline. Caroline did her best to even her breathing as Stefan pressed himself more firmly to her.

"Mmm," she hummed back to him. "You want to show me how you feel again, babe?"

Caroline blushed at the nickname she just released, but the embarrassment quickly subsided as Stefan growled against her ear.

"God, I love being a vampire," murmured against her neck, pressing her front into the mattress. "And I love you, Care. I have never known love the way I love you."

Caroline arched her spine in response, her words lost at Stefan's ministrations over her body.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I literally cannot even describe it," Caroline said as she gripped her cup in her hand. "That's how incredible it is. I can't even describe it."

Bonnie grinned back at her, beaming with excitement as they both sipped at their respective drinks on the grass in the park. Bonnie's smile was so bright, Caroline couldn't miss it.

"What?" Caroline asked, trying not to smirk at her friend's reaction.

Bonnie's smile widened if that was even possible. "It's nothing. It's just…" she looked down into her mug, "that is literally exactly the way I feel with Jeremy."

Caroline's eyes sparkled, meeting her best friend's eyes and grinning like a fool. "How the hell did we get this lucky, Bon?"

A genuine, deep, rumbling laugh came from Bonnie and Caroline smiled wider at her friend, the joy spilling out of her pours.

"I have no idea, Care," Bonnie giggled, "but I love it. My god, I love feeling like this."

The two girls laughed almost manically, the both of them feeling giddy at their silly discussion. It was the type of discussion you could only have with your best friend.

"Girls!" Caroline and Bonnie turned to find Elena hurrying toward them, wiping her hand across her forehead in earnest.

Caroline grinned up at her. "Elena!" she shifted over and made a place for Elena. "Good. Now this can be a real best friend meeting."

The three girls looked at each other, then all burst into laughter at once. Caroline doubled over, her cheeks aching from smiling, her body shaking uncontrollably. Bonnie laughed audibly, her bright teeth shining as she giggled at her very best friends. Elena fell next to them, her body collapsing in hysterics, not realizing how much she missed laughing with her very best friends.

The girls continued to giggle, clasping each other's hands, trying to finish out the laughter.

"Oh god, we need to get it together," Elena coughed out, her shoulders still shaking with giggles.

"No shit," Bonnie murmured, her smile still obvious as she tried to collect herself.

"When was the last time we were all this happy?" Caroline asked, forcing herself to control her laughter.

The three of them eyed each other and then collapsed back into laughter.

"Never," Elena laughed hardily, trying to catch her breath. "Never have the three of us been this utterly happy."

The girls looked around at each other, then Bonnie stood.

"Girls, I love you so much. You are my very best friends." She eyed the ground then looked back up to her friends. "But what the fuck are we doing here? Let's go home to our respective men."

The women looked to each other, then each gathered up their things and took off in different directions to their paramours, still stifling laughter. They hurried off to their love ones. To their happiness.

Caroline was the first to send a text as she got in her car.

I love you two so much

-Care

Bonnie and Elena both looked down to their phones. They each smiled.

XOXO girls

-Elena

Dinner soon, bests

-Bonnie

Caroline smiled too widely as she made her way back to mansion. Things truly couldn't better. Nothing could go wrong now.

Could it?

****I do not own Vampire Diaries or the characters within it. This may or may not be the end of this story… What do you think? Thank you for all the support on this story you guys, I REALLY appreciate it! Love from MssmithLove!****


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